Dog Fighting Still Alive in the US After ‘Missouri 500’ Dog Bust

All dogs deserve good homes and happy lives; however, we don’t live in an ideal world. When a massive dog-fighting ring was exposed, many people were arrested and four were jailed, but that doesn’t help the thousands of dogs that lose their lives each year doing what they are forced to.

Many dogs rescued from fighting rings in the United States have become the most inspiring lovable pets one could wish for. Sadly, it doesn’t hold true for some of them, who are either too injured to save or too vicious to interact with people. The best solution for the future is to eradicate these dog-fighting rings, and the authorities are well on the way to doing so.

In July 2009, a massive dog rescue operation took place, with the raid and rescue assisted by the Humane Society of Missouri (HSMO). During the raid, more than 400 dogs were rescued, with 26 people connected to the illegal fighting arrested, according to KSDK News. This largest dog fighting bust in U.S. history became known as the “Missouri 500” bust.

Kathy Warnick, president of the Humane Society of Missouri, described dog fighting as a “heinous blood sport” and “systematic torture of dogs for sport and profit.”

“Dog fighting is happening in every community in our state, right under our noses,” she said. “Hopefully, public awareness and outrage will bring an end to this cruel and heinous form of animal abuse.”

Local, state, and federal officials were involved in the bust, with arrests made in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Texas, and Oklahoma, according to CBS News. “This was quite an operation and marks the latest in a series of actions that are driving dog-fighting, we hope, off the cliff,” said Wayne Pacelle, CEO of the Humane Society of Missouri.

Although dog fighting is illegal, that doesn’t prevent it from occurring. Many dogs are raised and bred to fight, and they know no other life, constantly chained up, underfed, and with horrific injuries sustained during the fights—often they are forced to fight to the death. Other dogs are stolen from backyards across the United States and forced to fight.

This brutal blood sport is on the rise, with an estimated 16,000 dogs dying from this heinous activity each year, according to StopDogFighting. Dogs are tortured and forced to fight to death for the sake of money and amusement. Although it is a felony in 50 states across the United States, this underground activity has been thriving. Dog fighting is part of organized crime, and difficult to uncover.

The victims are the dogs, many with injuries too horrific to enable them to lead a normal life. But once successfully rehabilitated, they can lead normal lives in a foster home until they are adopted.

Photographer Mike Bizelli, who was present at the Missouri 500 dog bust, 10 years ago, recalled that he was unnerved when he saw 20–30 pit bulls come out dragging their chains. When he saw a black dog showing nothing but teeth, he warned his companions to be careful. As it turned out, he was wrong. “Tim [who was in charge of the operation] came up and he went right up to her and he knelt down and he embraced her and he said, ‘She’s not mean, she’s had her lips cut off,'” he recounted.

“These are animals which are so eager to please. Yet they have been bred to fight and die for human amusement,” said Dr. Randall Lockwood, a senior behavioral psychologist for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He worked together with law enforcement officials on the raids. “I do see dog-fighting as the greatest violation of that special bond between people and dogs.”

Some of those rescued dogs were able to be rehabilitated, and the staff were able to find homes for them. They are the lucky ones.

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