Dog Fighting History

Question 1

History

Answer 1

• Violent blood sport that is ILLEGAL in all 50 states
• Origins:
  
  • Mid 1800 in England
  • Bull-baiting pitted 2+ bulldogs against a tethered bull
  • More closely resembled today’s Mastiff
  • Bull baiting outlawed in 1886 with passage of the Humane Act
  • High demand for a bloody sport with a venue for gambling
  • Dogs were now pitted against eah other
• New sport failed to gain poularity due to large size & clumsiness of bulldogs
• Goal: create a dog that maintained certain characteristics of the bulldog but with traits that would make it better figher = Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Question 2

American Pit Bull Terrier

Answer 2

• Known for strength, courage, tenacity, intelligence, and loyalty to its owner
• Dog fighters have exploited this breed’s willingness to please and have selectively bred dogs with
  
  • Strength in relation to size
  • A specifc bite style
  • Agility and athleticism
  • Gameness

Question 3

Gameness

Answer 3

• Most desirable trait of a fighting dog
• Refers to a dog’s willingness or desire to continue to fight despite injury or fatigue
• Professional and hobbyist dog fights utilize smaller, more agile pit bulls or mixes
  
  • Lower level figher may utilize a lare/bulkier pit bull or mix
    
    • Don’t have same stamina
    • May cause injury to their opponent more quickly = shorter fights

Question 4

Behavior of fighting dogs

Answer 4

• Dogs that havebeen bred and trained to fight may display abnormal attack behaviors
  
  • Not aggressive against people. Dog that turns on its handler is killed immediately
  • May attack targets that don’t exhibit behaviors provoking attack
  • may fail to show warning signs of attack
  • may ignore displays or signs of submission

Question 5

Types of Dog Fighters

Answer 5

• Professionals
• Hobbyist
• Street fighter

Question 6

Professionals

Answer 6

• Seious dogfighters
• Make substantial income breeding, selling and fighting dogs
• Tend to maintain a larger # of dogs or a larger “yard”
• Well connected
• Function on a national or even international level
• Very underground, very hard to infiltrate
  
  • Knowledgeable about law enforcement investigation techniques

Question 7

Hobbyists

Answer 7

• Dogfighter with 1 or more dogs participating in several organized fights per year
• Spends minimal time on training
• May make a small amount of money
• Typically involved for entertainment value
  
  • Gambling is main focus

Question 8

Street fighter

Answer 8

• Improptu matches
  
  • Fights are irregular or sporadic
• Typically no rules
• Dogs are not fought in a pit
• Typically involved in gang activities
• No regard for the dogs
• Often aren’t trained
• May be aggressive towards humans
• Most likely to be observed by DVMs or shelter personnel

Question 9

Training and Conditioning

Answer 9

• Professional and hobbyist dogfighters will kill puppies that do not demonstrate aggressive behaviors towards other dogs
• Schooling: test and train the dogs as they develop
• Rolled: ~1yo dogs re put in a short, controlled fight to weed out dogs unsuitable for the pit
• Around 2 years of age or younger, dogs are subjected to a “game test”
  
  • Game Test: dog is pitted against an older, more experienced and sometimes larger opponent
    
    • Fight is interrupted at different times to see how willing te dog is to continue
    • Dog must prove it is game by continueing to “scratch”
      
      • Scratch - pit is set up with 2 diagonal lines across from each other - handler take dog behind lines and dog has to cross line to fight other dog

Question 10

Making the cut

Answer 10

• Street fighter and lss experienced hobbyists may not follow these protocols and often take shortcuts
  
  • They may roll or test dogs at younger ages
  • May not roll or test dogs at all prior to a fight

Question 11

Conditioning

Answer 11

• Professionals and hobbyists will condition dogs prior to a match or contracted fight
  
  • “Keep” : rigorous diet and exercise program typically occuring 4-6 weeks prior to a fight
    
    • Dog may be isolated from other dogs to allow the dog to rest between workouts

Question 12

Goal of a Keep

Answer 12

• Get the dog to its conditioned weight
  
  • Conditinoed weight = lowest possible weight without loss o muscle mass
  • This is the dog’s “pit weight” or “match weight”
  • Typically the weight that was agreed upon for the dog to fight
• Increase the dog’s strength, endurance and cardiovascular fitness

Question 13

Conditioning - Treadmills

Answer 13

• Extensive exercise to increase cardiovascular fitness and endurance
• Bait animal such as cat, rabbit, or chicken may be usedto entice the dog to run
• Types of treadmills:
  
  • Slat mills
  • Carpet mills
  • Converted or modified electric treadmills

Question 14

Conditioning - Poles

Answer 14

• Spring poles/ jump poles:
  
  • ​Hide or other material suspended from heavy spring or flexible pole that dog can jump up and hold onto
  • Used to strengthen the dog’s hind legs and jaw
• Flirt poles
  
  • ​Pole with a lure attached
  • lure is run along the ground so the dog can chase it
  • Tool is used to increase prey drive and serve as exercise

Question 15

Conditioning

Answer 15

• Road Work:
  
  • Dog must run alongside car, ATV or other vehicle
• Water Work:
  
  • ​Swimming in pool, river, lake or ocean
• Dietary supplements
  
  • Put on special diet and supplements during the keep
  • Commonly used supplements
    
    • Multivitamins
    • Vitamin B12
    • Iron

Question 16

Dietary Supplements

Answer 16

• Liver extract
• Creatine
• Vitamin K
• Amino Acid supplements
• Clovite conditioner
• Pedialyte

Question 17

Drugs

Answer 17

• Dexamethasone
• Anabolic steroids
• Stimulants such as methamphetamines
• Epinephrine
• Furosemide
• Antibiotis
• Painkillers

Question 19

The Fight

Answer 19

• “Match” - contracted dog fight
  
  • “Show” - set of matches or a convention
• Staged fight can occur at anyime and anywhere
• Organizatoin of a match or show
  
  • Promoter
  • Referee
  • Handlers

Question 20

The Pit

Answer 20

• Professionals and hobbyists will fight their dogs in a pit
  
  • Pit: 14-20 sq ft with alls 24-36’ high
    
    • Floor may be convered with a carpet to improve traction
  • Many pits are portable
  • Dogs placed behind scratch lines
    
    • First scratch is a simultaneous release, subsequent scratches are alternating

Question 21

Evidence

Answer 21

• Collect any blood found at the scene
  
  • Obtain buccal swabs from all the dogs present on scene
  • Obtain swabs from dogs with fresh wounds
  • Can run comparison DNA of dogs present on scene and DNA recovered from the pit

Question 22

Rules o the Fight

Answer 22

• Cajun rules
  
  • Most frequently used
  • consists of 19 rules
• UKC rules
• Police gazette rules
• Other
• Prior to the fight, dogs are weighed and washed depending on the rules

Question 23

Fanged

Answer 23

• When a dog’s canine tooth gets caught either in its owner lip or the opponent’s lip
  
  • ​Pencil is used to unfang dog
  • If handler is unable to unfang dog, may separate dogs with “break stick”

Question 24

The Fight - End

Answer 24

• Fights can last up to several hours
• Fight ends when handler concedes, a dog quiets (fails to scratch) or dies
  
  • Don’t typically fight to the death but may succumb to injuries
  • “Cur out” if a dog quits and its not game
    
    • Taken as a personal failure and an embarrassment
    • Owner may execute dog in brutal fashion
      
      • Hanging, drowning , electrocuting, blunt force trauma, etc

Question 25

Disposal of Deceased dogs

Answer 25

* Not uncommon to discover canine remains on a dog fighting property * Burn piles: try to dispose of remains in more secretive manner * Assess skeletal remains for findings consistent with dog fighting * Punctures or fractures, scoring of humerus, radius or ulna

Question 26

Terminology

Answer 26

* **1XGL:** 1 time game losr; only lost once * **1XW:** Have won 1 game * **Champion:** have won 3 contracted fights/matches * **Grand champoin:** 5 wins in a row * **POR:** producer of record; animals have offspring that has won a certain amount of fights * **ROM:** have to sire at least 4 champions: females must be dam of at least 3 champoins

Question 27

Veterinary Supplies

Answer 27

* Dog fighers typically have many veterinary supplies on hand to care for a dog afer a fight * Typically do not seek veterinary care * "Healer" someone they may send dog to after a fight

Question 28

Housing of Fighters

Answer 28

* Must be housed in isolation * Typically in yard on short, heavy chains just out of reach of other dogs * May be housed in runs constructed from cinder blocks * Chains should be seized, measured and weighed * Weight of chain should be compared to weight of dog and clssifid as % of dog's body weight * Dogs that were recently fought may be hidden * Dogs in a keep may be separated from the rest of the yard * Prize dogs may be hidden in case law enforcement comes * Property needs to be thoroughly searched

Question 29

Breeding of fighting dogs

Answer 29

* "Rape stand" * High degree of dog-to-dog aggression * Difficult ot breed fighting dogs * Immobilizes female while male is restrained by handler during breeding

Question 30

Forensic Examination: Common findings

Answer 30

* Distribution of wounds and scars * Spontaneous fighing (Ex: territorial disputes) - target scruff, shoulder andhocks * Bites are usually inhibited, only a few puncture wounds * Bites to face, legs, abdomen, inguinal areas - uncommon * Organized fighting - target face, neck, legs and chest repeatedly * Bred, trained, and conditioned to inflict maximum injury * Will attach even after dog submits so injure ventral abdome * Wounds in various stages of healing * Thickened Lips - form accumulation of scar tissue * Examine buccal aspect of lips for wounds or scars * Not uncommon for a portion of lip to be absent * Fractured canines, slab fractures to prmolara * Fractres in various stages of healing

Question 31

Scar chart

Answer 31

* Should be completed for every dog with scarring or wounds present * Provide estimate of age of wounds * Thoroughly document and photograph * Note an evidence of medical intervention

Question 32

Patterns - Bait Dogs

Question 33

What patterns can tell you

Answer 33

* Not all dogs in a fighting yard will have wounds or scars * Dogs used for breeding purposes * Juveniles that have not been rolled yet * Inexprienced fighting dogs may have wounds or scarring on their hind legs or ventral caudal abdomen * Demonstrating they submitted or turned their back on their opponent * Estimate age on dogs

Question 34

Recommened Forensic Testing

Answer 34

* DNA * Heartworm test * Fecal float * Babesia PCR * CBC/Chem/UA * Radiographs * Hold urine for anabolic steroid testing * Other diagnostic testing may be required based on exam findings

Question 35

Dog fighing paraphernalia

Answer 35

* Underground do fighting journals * The sporting Dog journal * Performance APBT * Scratch Back * Books * The complete Game Dog * Registries * Bona Fide Kennel Club * American Dog Breeders Association * Bloodline charts * Certificates * Sporting Dog Journal Certificate of Championship

Question 36

What to do with fighting dogs?

Answer 36

* In the past, most dogs seized were euthanized * Dogs are now being evaluated and rehabilitated * Much depends on how good the dog fighter was * If good dog fighter: can place most animals * If bad dog fighter: cannot place most animals