[ SHOWGSD-L ] An article from FresnoBee.com
- From: Peggy <pmick12@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 16:24:49 UT
Peggy has sent you the following story:
Great article
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= Quarterback's case outs secretive world= of dogfighting By Bill
McEwen/ The Fresno Bee 07/22/07 05:49:20
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=20 =09=09=09=09=09=09 The federal indictment of Michael Vick, star
Atlanta Falcons quarterback a= nd Nike endorser, in one fell swoosh has
dragged dogfighting into the natio= nal spotlight.Pick a subjective word for
this blood sport. Vicious. Gru= esome. Inhumane. Some sick souls would say
it's honorable.Whatever you = choose, know this: Dogfighting is illegal in
all 50 states. It's a federal = crime. And it's happening in the San Joaquin
Valley, where another barbaric= excuse to gamble -- cockfighting -- is big
business.You can check out = video of a dogfight at CNN.com., or allow me to
spare you the horror. D= ogs bred and trained to fight, most often American
pit bull terriers, attac= k each other in a confined space until one can't
continue.Death can be = quick, such as when a dog rips out an opponent's
jugular. Or it comes later= , the result of shock, lost blood or bad
doctoring by the dog's owner. Cour= t documents in the Vick case allege that
losing dogs were killed by drownin= g, strangulation, gun shots and
electrocution.About 40,000 people are i= nvolved in organized dogfighting in
our country, according to the Humane So= ciety of the United States. The
society estimates 100,000 more, many of the= m gang members, match dogs in
impromptu street fights."Dogfighting exis= ts here for sure," says Kirsten
Gross, animal-control officer for Madera Co= unty. "A lot of dogs come in
with serious bites."Or worse."We see d= eceased animals and animals that are
really torn up in our [night] drop cag= es," Gross says. "We don't know
wherethey come from."Injured dogs are = brought in because they're worthless
to owners. Fighting revolves around ga= mbling, and the prospect of money
andbragging rights. An incapacitated= dog is a drag on the owner's wallet --
dog food costs money -- and a remin= der of defeat.Until federal
investigators, with help from the Humane So= ciety, zeroed in on Vick and
three co-defendants, dogfighting largely had r= emained underground as it
spread from the rural South to other parts of the= country.Thanks to the
Internet, enthusiasts easily can buy dogs and eq= uipment, learn the cruel
training techniques and talk with one another. How= exciting it must be for
them to exchange e-mails about cattle prods, stero= id injections, bait
animals and toughening up dogs with regular beatings."The Internet has
brought two groups to prominence, and that's the pedoph= iles and the
dogfighters," Mark Kumpf, director of an Ohio animal shelter, = told The
Virginian-Pilot newspaper of Norfolk, Va.Still, the fights rem= ain cloaked
in secrecy, a frustration to law enforcement. Prospective dogfi= ghters are
checked out thoroughly by participants before they're allowed in= to the
twisted society.Fresno County sheriff's spokesman Chris Curtice = says that
while deputies have broken up cockfighting rings, he can't recall=
dogfighting arrests. A Fresno police representative says gang officers see=
dogs trained for fighting, but not actual fights, because most matches are=
in rural locations."I'm sure it goes on because pit bulls are everywhe= re
inthis county," Curtice says. "You go out on a call, and you can tell w=
hichones have been involved in fights."Curtice says the Vick case migh= t
yield tips that help local authorities crack down on dogfighting: "Every =
time we have something big in the news, people tend to notice things more."=
Here's a bonus: Tips about suspected dogfighting might lead to arrests = for
other crimes. "Along with dogfighting comes all kind of ugliness," Gros= s
says. "Illegal activities balloon. Someone capable of doing that to a= n
animal won't have any qualms about doing something to a person."Vick'= s
indictment, in the least, should squelch the dogfighting subculture in pr=
ofessional sports. Other athletes linked to dogfighting include basketball =
player Qyntel Woods -- arrested for fighting his pit bull "Hollywood" in 20=
04 -- and former Dallas Cowboy Nate Newton.A few months ago, when asked=
about dogfighting, Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis said, "=
It can't be too bad of a crime."I doubt he'd say that now. The columnist can
be reached at bmcewen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx[1] or (559) 441-6632. Check out his blog
at fresnobeehive.com.
=20=20=20=20=20=20
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