THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS REPRODUCED FROM THE FILES OF
THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF FIELD SERVICE AND INVESTIGATIONS
DOG FIGHTING:
AN HISTORICAL NOTE
The modern ‘sport’ of dog fighting has its origins in the
Coliseum combats of ancient Rome. Emperor Lucullus was reputedly the first to
initiate the practice of pitting dogs against other animals: a group of dogs
would be thrown into the Coliseum, doomed to be trampled to death by wild
elephants.
Following the fall of Rome, the practice of fighting dogs made its reappearance
in medieval England. Beginning in at least the 12th Century, such practices as
bull and bear baiting, in addition to mortal combats between dogs and lions or
elephants, became increasingly popular. In Elizabethan London, on the south
banks of the Thames, a popular attraction was the Bear Gardens – an attraction
that even Queen Elizabeth graced. Indeed, royal approval of bear baiting
included the appointment of an official ‘Master of the Bears and Dogs.’
By the middle of the 17th Century, the popularity in England of baiting sports
with at least the nobility had declined rather dramatically; by 1835, humane
groups succeeded in outlawing all baiting sports in an act of Parliament known
as the Humane Act of 1835.
The growing costliness and scarcity of bears and bulls in the 1700s for baiting
purposes had encouraged the practice of fighting dogs against each other for
sporting exhibition purposes. The passage of the Humane Act of 1835 however
provided the chief incentive for the growth of dog fighting: with the baiting of
larger animals illegal, dog fighting became the primary alternative for animal
fighting fanciers.
The growth of dog fighting upon the passage of the Humane Act of 1835 was made
possible by the development of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. First bred around
1800, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier combined the strength of the Bulldog with
the quickness and viciousness of the Terrier. The result was an excellent
fighting dog capable of engaging in voracious combat for hours.
With the importation of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier into the United States at
around 1817, dog fighting quickly became a popular pastime in this country.
During the 1860s, the ‘sport’ was made illegal in most states in the U.S.
However, the new state laws did little to stop the ‘sport.’ With the support of
much of the populace and some local and police officials, the activity continued
to flourish in the late 19th and early 20th Century: books devoted to the
‘sport’ were published, breeders specialized in developing fighting dogs (Colby,
Komosinsky, etc.), world championship fights with large purses were held, and
such groups as the United Kennel Club provided rules, approved referees, and an
organizational framework for the ‘sport.’
The 1930s and ‘40s saw a decline of the ‘sport,’ with such groups as the United
Kennel Club disassociating themselves from the activity. The last decade (‘60s
and ‘70s) however has seen a major growth in the ‘sport’: two new publications
have been established to further dog fighting (Sporting Dog Journal, 1967; Pit
Dog Report, 1970), a breeding registry dedicated to fighting dogs has been
revitalized, and the number of actively involved individuals in the ‘sport’ has
expanded from 2,500 in 1962 to 5,000 in 1974.
The dog fight of today differs little from the fights of the early 20th Century.
The pre-fight procedures are essentially the same: the dogs are weighed (dogs
only within a pound of each other are normally fought) and then washed in soap
water to remove any poison or drug that may have been placed on their furs. The
rules followed in the fight are similar: the dogs fight until one turns; after a
one-minute rest period, if the dog that turned refuses to scratch, he is
declared the loser. And the results of today’s fights are tragically the same as
those of 60 years ago: most dogs, following their struggle that may last as long
as six hours, eventually die, mortally wounded either by exterior lacerations or
internal injuries such as collapsed lungs.
Dog fighting has traditionally involved wager. Today, betting money of up to
$100,000 is involved in dog fighting conventions. In turn, the large sums of
gambling money have invited a variety of other unsavory activities and
individuals: the theft of dogs, drugs, prostitution, organized criminal
activity, and even murder have increasingly been tied to dog fighting.
Dogfighting in Peoria
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