Sickening return of barbaric dogfights
170 years after it was banned, dogs are still being trained to take part in battles that end in a gory death

by Caroline Virr
International Express (UK)
January 17, 2006

Baring his teeth menacingly, he emits a bloodcurdling growl before lunging for his opponent with all the ferocity he can muster. Blood spatters the surrounding tiles as the pit bull sinks his fangs into his rival, prompting a roar of approval from the crowd.

The injured dog, whimpering piteously, tries desperately to shake off his angry adversary. But with the attacker’s jaw locked firmly around his front leg, he cannot break free. He waits in agony as the dog’s teeth crush through the bone. The referee, who has been supervising the fight, prises the animals apart with a stick, before announcing a 10-second break when the dogs retreat to opposite corners of the ring. A buzz of excitement rises among the spectators, who have already cast bets on the next round, eagerly waiting to see which dog will fight his way to victory.

The nefarious practice of dogfighting sounds like it should belong in a decrepit pub in Victorian England. But sadly, this blood sport is still flourishing today, despite being outlawed 170 years ago. This particularly grim sight took place in an outhouse behind a quiet pub in the idyllic Oxfordshire village of Minster Lovell, just hours after well-heeled residents had sipped glasses of bubbly in their pretty local. A crew of dog fighters descended on their clandestine pit, baying for blood in a sick contest. The RSPCA estimates that more than 100 people in the UK regularly participate in organized dog fights, where obsessive owners place their dogs in a specially-constructed pen and pit them against another in bloody battle, often to the death.

A three-year undercover investigation, spearheaded by specialist officers from the RSPCA, led to raids in Barnsley, Oxford, Bermingham, London, Chesterfield, Gainsborough, Huddersfield, Leicester, Liverpool, and Scunthorpe. Called Operation Gazpacho, it resulted in nine prosecutions. The convicted men were given sentences ranging from four months in prison to fines and banning orders.

In May, Ian Draper, 41, of Asthall, Oxford, was jailed for three months and banned from keeping dogs for ten years after admitting to causing unnecessary suffering to dogs and owning an illegal breed.

The RSPCA found one of his 26 dogs, an American pit bill terrier called Charlie, with extensive injuries to his chest and face, which an expert confirmed were wounds from a dogfight. Draper was also found guilty of keeping an inhumane dog pit built specifically for canine combat. There, investigators seized “breaking sticks” (used to force dogs’ jaws apart after they become clamped around their victims) and a treadmill for training fighting dogs. Homemade veterinary kits to treat injured dogs on site and avoid arousing suspicion from vets were also found. Mike Butcher, who works for the RSPCA’s special operations unit, which deals with the UK’s most despicable animal cruelty cases, said, “The fights are organized mainly by word of mouth, by a fraternity of a few hundred people. They are obsessed by organized dog fighting – no matter how many times they are taken to court, they will re-offend.”

This barbaric pursuit dates back to the 18th century but was banned under the 1835 Dog Fighting Act. In 1975, the ferocious American pit bull terrier was imported back in to the country, re-igniting interest in the grotesque pastime.

When American pit bull terriers were outlawed under the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act, British dogfighters found a way round the problem by breeding them with Staffordshire bull terriers. “Like all bull terrier breeds, they are aggressive to other dogs but not to humans,” said Mike. “They don’t recognise pain or fear in the same extent as other dogs and so do more damage. They will continue fighting even when severely injured.”

The RSPCA investigation found that the ringleaders ran the fights by rules that dated back to the 1800’s. “The fights take place in pits, which have to be 12ft in diameter. They use carpet on the floor to give the dogs purchase for their feet. In the pit stand the two owners and the referee,” said Mike.

Much like a boxer, dogs undergo strict diet and training regimes to get in shape for a fight. Owners will nominate the same fighting weight for each dog, which they will endeavour to build them up to over a 35-day training period.

This involves running on treadmills and roads, as well as increasing bite strength by swinging dogs with their jaws clamped on car tyre swings. The dogs are then dosed with glucose and energy drinks to build up their stamina and strength. The fight itself – which can last up to two and a half hours – is a grisly affair. “Each dual lasts until one of the owners pulls his dog out or a dog dies in the pit,” Mike said.

It’s impossible to understand why any dog owner would put their pet through such an ordeal. But the Daily Express spoke to a convicted offender who tried to explain the thinking behind this pursuit.

“When you see your dog fighting for you in the pit, even when he’s getting a good hiding, it makes you feel dead proud,” said the source, who wishes to remain anonymous. “You spend all that time training him up, feeding him the best diet, and the fight is just the final stage of a long, fairly intense process. A real bond develops between you and the dog and you want him to give his opponent what for in the pit.”

Most injuries to the dogs prove fatal with many dying of shock, blood loss or heart failure after combat. After a gruesome fight, an owner will do everything in his power to keep his dog alive. “Often they sit up all night, treating the dog with their vet kit,” Mike said. Such an explanation sheds some light on the strong bond that develops between owner and dog, which willingly fights again and again despite the horrendous injuries it has previously suffered.

“There is usually an agreed stake at every fight, between £1,000 and £3,000, but dogfighting isn’t about the money,” Mike said. “It’s all about training a dog that will beat someone else’s – and the prestige that transfers on to the owner.”

The RSPCA is still working hard to stamp out this repugnant practice. But the biggest obstacle is the meagre penalties handed out by the court. The maximum penalty is currently six months’ jail or a £5,000 fine, although under the proposed Animal Welfare Bill, the penalty could be increased to 51 weeks jail or a £20,000 fine. But Mike worries that the penalties are not severe enough.

“Magistrates do dish out good jail terms but the system only lets culprits serve half of it. Bigger penalties will certainly deter the hangers-on. But we need help in reaching the small, clandestine core who remain obsessed with dogfighting – if anyone knows of someone who might be guilty, they need to let us know.”