Her eyes look through the faded Polaroid with a mixture of hope and
hurt. Her head is covered with brutal burns, and bloody wounds
decorate her beaten body like the spots on a Dalmation. It's a miracle
that she survived long enough for the animal control officer to snap
her picture. It's a miracle that her little heart kept beating.
She is a victim of Baltimore dogfighting. She probably
lost too many fights or couldn't breed, so she was set on fire
and abandoned by the people who should have loved her.
When the Baltimore City Animal Control officers found
her, she looked like just another dog that would die because
of the cruel and inhumane "sport" of dogfighting.
When police raided the Virginia property of Atlanta
Falcons' quarterback Michael Vick in April 2007,
dogfighting entered mainstream culture in an
unprecedented way. People were drawn to stories about
the respected athlete's involvement with bloody dogfights,
inhumane animal executions, and bizarre training
equipment like "rape stands." (Rape stands are used to
restrain an extremely aggressive female dog so she can
be bred. A female that refuses to let a male dog get close
to her is particularly prized in the dogfighting world.)
Condemnation of Vick's actions came from every direction,
and the few public voices that were sympathetic toward
Vick drew outraged criticism.
While nothing about dogfighting is positive, the publicity
around Vick has raised awareness of the problem and
inspired people to start asking questions about their own
communities. The people of Baltimore are no exception.
The dogfighting culture is so deeply hidden in the
abandoned row houses, empty ballparks, and secluded
woods of the greater Baltimore region that many people
debate its significance. Some say dogfighting is an
enormous problem that plagues the people and animals
of Charm City, while others belittle it as an urban legend
that has spiraled out of control. Although the true impact
of dogfighting in this area isn't fully known, there is no
question that it exists here.
Bob Anderson, director of the Bureau of Animal Control
for Baltimore City, knows that dogfighting happens in the
Baltimore area, but he suspects the problem may not be
as rampant as some people suggest. While he doesn't see
much evidence of organized dogfights - the large-scale
events that last for several hours and see tens of thousands
of dollars change hands - he regularly hears about what
he calls "Saturday night fights."
"Two guys and two dogs meet on the corner, and both
guys say, 'My dog is meaner than your dog.' By the time we
get there, they're gone. No one sees anything and no one
hears anything. There were just two guys, the dogs fought,
and they left."
While a few dollars may change hands during these
spontaneous battles, the real prize is bragging rights. Not
only will the dog's owner earn the reputation of having the
toughest dog around, but his dog's puppies will command
the highest price in town.
One sign of fighting is the underground breeders who
sell Pit Bull puppies to anyone who offers the right amount
of cash. Unlike reputable breeders, these basement breeders
ask no questions and keep no records. They justify their
irresponsibility by claiming they have no control over what
buyers do with the dogs. Occasionally, animal control
officers will investigate these breeders and find corpses of
dogs that were killed because they weren't vicious enough
to survive in the pit (the contained area where dogs fight).
Determining the existence of organized dogfights
can be extremely difficult. The dogfighting community
is very close-knit, and outsiders are rarely allowed to
watch or participate in fights.
"The CIA could take lessons from dogfighting," said
Anderson. "The guys who fight their dogs talk in codes. No
one comes out and says, 'Hey, we're holding a match over
at Joe's house tonight.' They don't use their radios or cell
phones, and they don't put it in writing; it's 'Tonight we're
meeting at Beverly's for a cold beer,' and that might tell them
that Beverly equals a certain location and the cold beer is the
fight tonight. If they don't know you, you're not invited."
Russell Ashton works with Adopt A Homeless Animal
(AAHA), a Pit Bull rescue organization that often helps
victims of dogfights. "Fighters are very savvy people who
know what good Samaritans or police officers might
be looking for. They do all they can to keep their dogs
sequestered and out of the spotlight. We have even come
across bait dogs that have been debarked. [Bait dogs, often
stolen from people's backyards, are small dogs or puppies
that are used as bait to incite dogs to fight. Sometimes kittens
are used for bait instead of dogs.] We think debarking
[altering a dog's vocal cords so it cannot bark] might be a
common practice for dogs being fought in enclosed areas,
such as cellars or houses in the city. The people holding the
fights don't want to alert concerned neighbors."
Speaking in code to trusted sources allows the people
who participate in fights to maintain a high level of secrecy.
Well-funded organizations like the Humane Society and
the ASPCA have infiltrated dogfights in the past, but
it's a rare occurrence that is difficult for a local animal
welfare agency to recreate. Baltimore City's animal control
department has 16 officers when fully staffed, and because
of their heavy presence on the streets, their faces are
immediately recognizable to members of the dogfighting
community. Additionally, it takes a large amount of money
to successfully coordinate and execute an undercover
operation, money that isn't normally available to local
agencies. Even if these barriers can be overcome, officers
still need to find a fight to infiltrate.
"Once during the summer," said Anderson, "I got
a phone call that there was going to be a dogfight in
Baltimore City on a Saturday night. I got my officers ready
to do the raid, and the informant called up to say it was
changed to Washington, D.C., then 15 minutes later it was
supposed to be up toward New York, then it turned out to
be a hoax."
There is proof, however, that bigger fights take place in
and around Baltimore. In one recent case, police received
crucial information and were able to intervene. A citizen's
report last summer led to the investigation of a secluded
Severna Park house that resulted in the arrest of two
people, the discovery of crack cocaine, and the confiscation
of five Pit Bulls that were allegedly used in dogfighting.
In addition to street corner fights and organized, highstakes
operations, dogfighting in the Baltimore region
takes other forms. A few years ago, Baltimore City Animal
Control officers discovered a trend where three dogs would
be locked inside an abandoned rowhouse with nothing but
a small bag of food. Only one dog would emerge victorious.
In one case that Anderson remembers particularly well,
the winning dog literally tore one of the other dogs apart,
mutilating it so badly that the house's green carpet could be
seen through the corpse of the dead dog.
"You know, in your heart, you know people had to hear
those dogfights going on, but no one said anything until
the smell got bad," Anderson said.
Animal control officers are hindered by the "stop
snitching" mentality made famous by an underground
Baltimore DVD threatening witnesses who report crimes
to the police. "If they won't turn in a murderer," said
Anderson, "do you think they're going to turn in someone
who 'just' fights dogs?" If two pending reward programs
come to fruition, however, the reward for turning in people
involved in dogfighting could be as high as $4,000; double
the amount offered by Crime Stoppers for information
leading to the arrest of murderers.
Citizens can help stop dogfighting. It doesn't require
anything more dramatic than picking up the phone and
calling animal control. In Baltimore City, Anderson
doesn't expect people to be experts on the tools used for
dogfighting (treadmills for increasing the stamina of dogs,
tow chains and suspended chew toys to strengthen dogs'
neck muscles, pry bars to separate fighting dogs, etc.) or
the telltale signs that indicate a dog is used for fights; he
simply asks residents to call and let animal control or the
police investigate.
"Anything that you think is wrong, just call. You don't
have to do an investigation. If you hear dogs howling in
a fenced-in tennis court, and there shouldn't be dogs in
a tennis court at night, call it in. If you see a dead dog
on the side of the road, call it in. A car may have hit it,
but someone may have dumped a carcass [of a dogfighting
victim]. Anything that is not right, call it in to 311. A lot
of people have their antennas out for the right reasons. You
don't have to be a police investigator who knows all the
signs of dogfighting. If you see a bunch of people walking
into the woods and each one of them has a dog, and you
hear all sorts of noises going on in those woods, call!"
Residents of Baltimore City who have seen something
suspicious should call 311, and people in the surrounding
counties should call their local animal control office. Even
if it's hours or days since the incident, it's still
important to call because it gives officers a
chance to investigate and possibly strengthen
a case against a suspected criminal. When
you file a report in the city, it's important
to get a case number so you can follow up
on your complaint.
Although animal control
officers do a great job with limited resources,
Anderson will be the first to admit that they
occasionally make mistakes. "Bear with
Animal Control. We try hard, but we're not
perfect. We might count two rows down an
alley instead of three and not look in the right
yard, or a message will get garbled and my officer will shoot
over to South so-and-so Street instead of North. We're not
perfect, but we try hard, and I will honestly tell you that the
city gets its money out of us."Anyone who sees a dogfight in progress, however,
should call 911. In Maryland, dogfighting is a felony that
carries three years in prison and mandatory psychological
counseling. Animal control officers are not empowered
to make felony arrests, so it's crucial to call 911 when
witnessing what might be a dogfight.
Bonnie Hurwitz, the president of AAHA, says that
being in the wake of the Michael Vick incident has certain
advantages. There is now a special dogfighting task force in
the city, and there is unprecedented cooperation between
Animal Control and the Baltimore Police Department.
She reiterates that people should call 911 if they see a
dogfight in progress, since police have the power to charge
the criminals with felonies, but often don't learn about
fights until after they happen. Any discussion about dogfighting will quickly become
a discussion about Pit Bulls. "Pit Bull" is not a recognized
breed of dog, but is actually a catch-all phrase that can
include American Staffordshire Terriers, American Pit
Bull Terriers, American Bulldogs, mixed breeds, and other
similar breeds.
Contrary to popular belief, Pit Bulls are no more
aggressive than many other popular dog breeds. A 1997
report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
suggests that certain breeds become popular for fighting
at different periods of time. From 1991 to 1996, there were
nearly twice as many fatal Rottweiler attacks as there were
fatal Pit Bull attacks. Interestingly, the CDC report shows
that in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Saint Bernards and
Great Danes - two breeds that are now often called "gentle
giants" due to their docile nature and love for children -
were among the leading canine killers in the United States,
proving that any dog or breed can be taught to be vicious.
Russell Ashton of AAHA would like to see more people associating the word "gentle" with Pit Bulls. "These dog
fighters abuse Pit Bulls' best quality, which is that they want
to please their master. The dog will do anything to please
its master. They are wonderful with people, wonderful with
children. Their high intelligence and high trainability is
turned against them, and these really great traits enable
people to abuse the dogs and make them into a thing that
is not desirable."
Bob Anderson agrees with Ashton. "If a Pit Bull attacks,
it makes headlines. We had a German Shepherd attack
some people, and it never hit the newspapers. We had a little
Boston Terrier bite a girl on the lip, she had 14 stitches and
people were saying 'You're picking on a Boston Terrier?' If
that'd been a Pit Bull, it would've made headlines. Pit Bulls
are easy targets, but they can be some of the best and most
loyal dogs you'll have in your life. They're fantastic family
dogs. I raised my kids with them, and my daughter at one
t ime had three Pit Bulls with her four kids. They're great with
kids. But these aren't the dogs that are chained in the back
of the house and thrown scraps of food at night, dogs that
never see anybody until someone wants to take them out to
fight. It's how you raise them."
Ashton is quick to point out that many fighting dogs that
are rescued can be rehabilitated and placed in homes with
families or used in law enforcement. Of 49 Pit Bulls that
were seized from Michael Vick's property and evaluated
by animal behavior specialists, only one was so aggressive
that it had to be euthanized. The other 48 dogs will be
adopted by families, placed with law enforcement officers,
or allowed to live at dog sanctuaries like Best Friends
Animal Society in Utah.
The real enemy in dogfighting is not the dog; the enemy
is the person who breeds the dog to fight, who trains the
dog to be vicious, and who puts the dog in a pit where
it must kill or be killed. "The monster who is abusing
a Pit Bull," said Ashton, "is usually abusing a wife or
girlfriend or child. Their cruelty doesn't stop with animals.
Dogfighting doesn't happen in a vacuum, whether it's a
professional organization in the county or a street fight
in the city. It's tied up in a web of criminal behavior, and
getting dogfighting off the streets gets lots of criminals,
drugs, and guns off the streets, too."
You can help stop dogfighting. By paying attention to
your surroundings and calling if something doesn't seem
right, you can help prevent dogfights and save dogs. Bob
Anderson knows that only one out of every 10 or even 100
calls will lead to stopping someone who is fighting dogs
and finding a new life for an abused animal, but the way he
sees it, that's one criminal off the street and one dog with a
new lease on life. He thinks it's worth it.
Anderson flips to another, more recent picture of the dog
that was burned and bloodied, the beaten dog that stared
helplessly through an old Polaroid. In the newer
picture, she sits on a polished, hardwood floor
and looks like the pinnacle of health. A
young girl, maybe 4 or 5 years old, has her
little arms wrapped around the dog's neck
and her cheek pressed tightly to the dog's
scarred cheek. The little girl's face is lit by a
smile and filled with an overwhelming amount
of unconditional love. The dog's face shows
exactly the same thing.
She is a victim of Baltimore dogfighting. She probably
lost too many fights or couldn't breed, so she was set on fire
and abandoned by the people who should have loved her.
When the Baltimore City Animal Control officers found
her, she looked like just another dog that would die because
of the cruel and inhumane "sport" of dogfighting.
When police raided the Virginia property of Atlanta
Falcons' quarterback Michael Vick in April 2007,
dogfighting entered mainstream culture in an
unprecedented way. People were drawn to stories about
the respected athlete's involvement with bloody dogfights,
inhumane animal executions, and bizarre training
equipment like "rape stands." (Rape stands are used to
restrain an extremely aggressive female dog so she can
be bred. A female that refuses to let a male dog get close
to her is particularly prized in the dogfighting world.)
Condemnation of Vick's actions came from every direction,
and the few public voices that were sympathetic toward
Vick drew outraged criticism.
There is proof, however, that bigger fights take place in
and around Baltimore. In one recent case, police received
crucial information and were able to intervene. A citizen's
report last summer led to the investigation of a secluded
Severna Park house that resulted in the arrest of two
people, the discovery of crack cocaine, and the confiscation
of five Pit Bulls that were allegedly used in dogfighting.
In addition to street corner fights and organized, highstakes
operations, dogfighting in the Baltimore region
takes other forms. A few years ago, Baltimore City Animal
Control officers discovered a trend where three dogs would
be locked inside an abandoned rowhouse with nothing but
a small bag of food. Only one dog would emerge victorious.
In one case that Anderson remembers particularly well,
the winning dog literally tore one of the other dogs apart,
mutilating it so badly that the house's green carpet could be
seen through the corpse of the dead dog.
"You know, in your heart, you know people had to hear
those dogfights going on, but no one said anything until
the smell got bad," Anderson said.
