[ SHOWGSD-L ] from the NAIA on dog fighting
- From: Peggy <pmick12@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: gsd list <Showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Paul Root <rivendellp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Catherine Murch <fmurch@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, MARGERY GOLANT <mgolant@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Stormy435 <Stormy435@xxxxxxx>, Denise Groenewald <Rikers123@xxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2007 17:24:12 -0400
It's time to Eradicate DogFighting in the U.S.
Not just talk about it!
July 23, 2007
For more information contact:
National Animal Interest Alliance
503-761-8962
naia@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:naia@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
By Patti Strand
National Director, National Animal Interest Alliance
As most informed citizens already know, Atlanta Falcons 27-year old
quarterback Michael Vick was charged on July 18 of running a felony
dogfighting operation on his estate in Surry County , Virginia. In an
18-page indictment, federal prosecutors say Vick actively participated
in dogfights on his property, personally paid at least one winning bet,
and allegedly authorized the electrocution of one dog that lost a fight.
The indictment cites dogfighting activities going back to 2001.
The media lost no time in digging out repulsive video footage of actual
dogfights and stomach-turning accounts of the deliberate cruelty and
savagery of this so-called "sport." Bleeding, crippled animals with
lower jaws torn off, eyes gouged out, faces and bodies slashed to the
bone; all make for heartbreaking news coverage. And the story grows even
more horrific as reports surface revealing that thousands of American
pets reported as stolen by their owners were the victims of dogfighting
rings that used them for bait in dogfight training. It can't get much
sicker than this.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/02/0218_040218_dogfighting.html
<http://www.icebase.com/go.shtml?20070723052220351203&m160&http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/02/0218_040218_dogfighting.html>
.
NAIA supports the prosecution and sentencing of criminals associated
with dogfighting to the full extent of the law. We support both the
formal criminal proceedings against Michael Vick and the private
sanctions flowing from morals clause interpretations in his NFL and
endorsement contracts which can, and should result in his immediate
suspension pending the outcome of his court case.
Dogfighting has been illegal in most U.S. states for 140 years. It is
illegal in all 50 states today and is a felony in 48, but has resurged
in the last decade or more, where the crime is popular with urban gangs
who utilize fierce "fighting dogs" as part of their cool "gangsta" image.
According to many long-time observers, the
emotionally-charged anti-dogfighting campaigns of the last 20 years
actually glamorized the underworld of dogfighting and inadvertently
promoted it, especially among disaffected young people who are seeking a
"rebel" image. Indeed, this boomerang effect is a well-known social
dynamic. A recent study by the University of Georgia has found that
"The more exposure middle school students have to anti-smoking ads, the
more likely they are to smoke."
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/news/stories/2007/07/19/smoking_0720.html?imw=Y
<http://www.icebase.com/go.shtml?20070723052220351203&m160&http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/news/stories/2007/07/19/smoking_0720.html?imw=Y>)
It's not just the well-known animal rights groups with their "conflict
fundraising" methods that romanticize the gangster dogfighting culture,
though. Mainstream news outlets also do it with breathless reporting
that focuses more on "bad boy" celebrities (a term literally used by NPR
and others about Vick, for example) and less on the unconscionable
nature of the crimes in question...and the animals at stake.
In fact, America 's dogfighting epidemic received little media attention
until this month, when suddenly - as is so often the case - celebrity
involvement fueled a media frenzy.
If the new level of public awareness is channeled properly, it could
lead to greater enforcement of anti-dogfighting laws, targeted programs
for inner city youth, and more funding for animal control, a course that
NAIA strongly supports.
Unfortunately, though, this kind of news can also trigger misguided
reactions. The call to ban specific breeds has already started.
But going after dogfighting isn't easy. It's more than animal cruelty;
its organized crime. Dogfighting typically occurs in areas where crime
rates are high and where law enforcement has a difficult time under the
best of circumstances. Because the crime is committed largely by inner
city minorities, going after it can also lead to charges of racism.
These are not factors that encourage enforcement.
People who care about dogs and animal welfare need to get involved with
their local animal control agencies and county government now. Help
provide a rational voice for solving the horror of dogfighting. Now is
the time for developing programs that target at-risk youth before they
get involved; for encouraging greater funding of animal control and
collaboration among animal control personnel, police and federal
authorities. Now that the tragic episode of Michael Vick has come to
light, let's use this energy to end the scourge of dogfighting once and
for all. Contact us at naia@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<http://www.icebase.com/go.shtml?20070723052220351203&m160&mailto:naia@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
for information on programs and referrals.
ADDENDUM: DOGFIGHTING TIMELINE
For a narrative account, see National Public Radio's article by Monica
Villavicencio, "A Brief History of Dogfighting" (
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12104472
<http://www.icebase.com/go.shtml?20070723052220351203&m160&http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12104472>).
Please join our 16-year old movement
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With your support we will win!
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