Local News Valley dog fights
August 21, 2004 - 8:06 pm
By: Niki Upton

It's an age old kind of illegal gambling...and it's happening here in the Lower Mainland. There's dog fighting going on in fields and backyards across Surrey and the Fraser Valley. But the SPCA is claiming there's little it can do to stop it. The difficulty for the Society is the underground nature of this blood sport. Animal Protection Officer Shawn Eccles admits they've received complaints about dog pits. However, he says it's very difficult to get any information and when they do, there's not much they can do to investigate. Judy Stone with the Animal Advocates says, the SPCA has known about this for years. She says dog fighting is still being reported around the Chilliwack area where injured dogs are dumped in the river and left to die. Running a dog pit will earn you six months in jail...or a hefty fine.