Monday, federal, state, and local officials announced that there had been 12 arrests made Friday, August 23, 2013 after raiding homes in Alabama and Georgia believed to be involved in illegal gambling and dog fighting. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Humane Society of the United States assisted in rescuing 367 dogs in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. This is believed to be the second-largest dog fighting raid in United States History.
Dogs ranging in age from several days old to 12 years old were rescued. Many were tethered outside in 90 degree weather without food or clean water. Severely emaciated dogs were found biting and scratching at their flea infested bodies covered with scars from their dog fighting experiences. Dogs were found in filthy living conditions filled with trash and feces. There were also many bodies of deceased dogs found during the raids.
Thankfully these dogs are now in the hands of the caring people of the ASPCA and the Humane Society. If convicted, those responsible for the dog fighting ring face up to five years in prison as well as fines.
Yes, you read that right... five years. Forcing dogs to fight to the death, not seeking medical attention for them, abusing them, leaving them without food and water, leaving them in the deadly heat with little to no shade, forcing them to live in deplorable conditions... shouldn't they be left in prison (which undoubtedly is a much better place to live than the places where they kept those dogs) for a lot longer than five years?! How about five years for every dog that they abused? It is a ridiculously low amount of time for the damage and pain that they have inflicted.
Unsurprisingly, most of the dogs rescued were pit bulls. This is one of the many reasons why pit bulls get a bad rap. I do not believe that dogs are born "bad." Like children, they are a product of their upbringing. They are innocent creatures at birth. With loving owners (or parents) they will become a loving creature. With bad owners (or parents) they more than likely will not reach their full potential. One thing you should know about pit bulls... like many of the "tougher" breeds (pit bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, etc.) they have a strong desire to please their owners. So naturally, if a dog is praised by their owners for fighting, they will fight. If a dog is praised for being a good dog, that is what they will do. These dogs also have a high pain tolerance. While my dog Bella is an American bulldog (not a pit bull), she is one of the "bully breeds" and is not only related to pits, but from the same family line. I have witnessed her high pain tolerance on many occasions. I have seen her get so wrapped up in playing that she ran into a piece of furniture and didn't even seem to notice. She kept right on playing. Obviously, these dogs are not indestructible, but they are able to keep going for much longer than other breeds may have been able to.
I am ashamed to admit it, but I used to be one of those people who were afraid of pit bulls. I was uneducated and only knew the awful stereotypes. After doing a lot of research to come to the conclusion that pit bulls are awesome dogs. Don't believe the stupid stereotypes that the media portrays. There are so many more pit bulls right now that other breeds, so naturally the research you see saying that there are more pit bull attacks on humans than other breeds are biased.
Need more proof that pit bulls are really awesome dogs?
Also, check out HelloBully.com for more information at pit bulls.
Please see the following links for more information about the dog fighting arrests:
MSN.com
Money.MSN.com
Now, I'm not saying that pit bulls are the dogs for everyone. They need an owner that will train them well and will nurture them in order for them to become the best family dogs that they can be.
No comments:
Post a Comment