ANSC 250 1st Edition Lecture 17 Outline of Last Lecture I Overview of animals in disasters II Why would people leave their pets III Documentary IV Being prepared for animals in disaster situations Outline of Current Lecture I Intro to dog fighting in U S II Overview of dog fighting and dog fighters III ASPCA video IV Off the Chain V Laws and cases Current Lecture I II An Intro to Dog Fighting in the U S a The banning of which sport led to the creation of dog fighting i Bull baiting b Were all pit bull type dogs originally bred for the purpose of fighting other animals i No b What helped spread the popularity of dog fighting especially in urban areas of the U S i Grew in popularity after widespread media coverage urban and rural areas unorganized street fighting became popular Widespread after Civil War dogs brought over from Ireland and England many police officers still involved in dog fighting Overview of Dog Fighting and Dog Fighters a The Street level i Is the newer level ii Occurs at street corners and informal places iii Is stripped of rules or formality iv The least amount of care is given to these dogs starved or beaten to promote aggression gang related dogs often discarded after losing may also be human aggressive b The Hobbyist level i Is more organized and uses more rules ii Participates in several fights per year These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute II II iii The fighter participates mainly for entertainment iv There are better standards of care and more attention to breeding v Dogs may be transported across state lines b The Professional level i Large numbers of animals owned ii Main income source is from fighting and breeding dogs iii Attention to winning bloodlines breeding iv Regularly kill animals who are not winning not fighting well enough v Dogs are not human aggressive generally b Dog fighting dates back thousands of years cultural value to many c Dog fighting occurs around the world illegal in many countries but still legal in many regions many different breeds used d Is there a stereotype for a dog fighter If so list those qualities discussed i No stereotype all races genders socioeconomic statuses all professions wide range of ages including children g Why do people continue to fight dogs in our society i Social and cultural history ii Money gambling and breeding iii Glory and pride from winning iv Self esteem boost v Entertainment vi Gang related activity vii Becomes social norm in some places ASPCA Video a Organized animal fighting is a felony in ALL EVERY states within the U S b Dog fighters feel they have a right to and compare fighting to hurt hunt their dogs make money profit c From what you saw in the video do all pit bulls naturally want to fight with one another i No b What is the most common reaction that rescuers see from dogs that are coming from fighting operations i Friendly and excited reactions never had loving interactions b There are accounts of dog fighters coming to shelters to get their dogs back because they are of value to them Off the Chain a Pit bulls are known to be extremely loyal to its owner which is likely a trait that dog fighters use to their advantage b Are dogs that are aggressive to other animals also prone to being aggressive to humans i No b Gameness is a term used to describe the dog s willingness to fight for their owner c The dog fighter in the video sedated his dog to perform what procedure to her i Sharpen their teeth b II Is it appropriate to compare dog fighting to boxing in humans i No although both have competitiveness and brutality when dogs fight their cutting and ripping kill the animals the dogs have no choice being in the box b Who generally cares for the animal s medical needs after a match i Dog fighters do the best they can can t get vet care lots of dogs are lost after Laws and Cases a Two federal laws regarding dog fighting are i Animal Welfare Act which makes it illegal to exhibit transport buy sell etc a fighting animal that has been transported across state lines ii Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act which makes it illegal to knowingly attend an organized animal fight and created additional penalties for those who bring along a child minor b In Illinois it is a felony to be involved in any aspect of animal fighting to own breed train dogs for fighting to fight dots to attend a dog fight to own or sell equipment c Can dogs rescued from fighting operations be rescued and rehomed or do they need to be euthanized for the safety of the public i Yes don t need to be euthanized after Vick s case b Michael Vick was charged at the federal and state levels for his involvement in a dog fighting operation hanging drowning beating 6 8 dogs to death for underperforming sentenced to 20 months in federal prison c What was the fate of Vick s dogs i 49 dogs were seized judge ruled dogs to be evaluated for adoption first time ever 48 49 were saved b Jim Gorant learned that dog fighting is a lot more common than you would think first time fighting dogs were rehabilitated dogs treated as victims not weapons c What were the original thoughts on the Vick dogs as discussed by representatives from the HSUS and PETA i Were considered too dangerous to be kept alive and recommended to euthanize them b With the Vick case Gorant wrote that for the first time in a legal setting the dogs were seen not as implements of this criminal activity but as the victims of it c Johnny Justice one of the Vick dogs is now taking part in what kind of program i Certified therapy dog therapy reading program for little kids b Hector one of the Vick dogs has many scars on his chest and legs and is missing some teeth as a result of his past He was obviously a frequent fighter Was he able to be placed in a home with other animals i Yes