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Animal cruelty is not just a legal issue; it is a community issue, and a complicated one at that. To succeed in our efforts to improve animal welfare and to enhance public safety, we need to take a hard look at some difficult subjects, such as:
Keep our communities safe. Report dogfighting by contacting the police. |
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- Community tolerance of violence toward people and animals
- Who should be held legally and morally accountable for damage and injury caused by animals
- The need to balance perceived “quick fixes” against more long term and ultimately more effective public safety solutions
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Animal cruelty can be one of the earliest and most dramatic indicators that an individual is developing a pattern of seeking power and control by inflicting suffering on others. Pets are often the first victims of family or neighborhood disputes that escalate into violent and even fatal encounters between people. Intervention at an early stage might prevent these conflicts from becoming more serious. Early intervention is more likely to reduce adult crime than criminal sanctions applied later in life.
Please watch this video on dogfigthers in trouble.
Battle Against Dogfighting’s (BAD’s) community outreach efforts set out to educate the public on how dogfighting negatively affects their neighborhoods in a variety of ways: |
Preventing dogfighting is NOT just about protecting dogs -
It’s about keeping your community and family safe from:
• Organized Crime
• Drug Trafficking/Narcotics
• Money Laundering
• Gambling
• Child Endangerment
• Weapons
• Gang Activity
• Rape/Homicide
• Stolen family pets used as “bait dogs” |
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- Dogfighting goes hand-in-hand with other illegal activities such as drug use, gang activity and illegal weapons, thereby making the communities where it takes place less safe.
- Dogfighting is harmful to people, is illegal, and leads to bites or serious injury. (Dogfighters breed and train dogs to be aggressive. These dogs unleashed on an unsuspecting public can be dangerous and result in bites or serious injuries.)
- Dogs used for dogfighting may be dangerously aggressive. The presence of these dogs in a community may increase the risk of attacks not only on other animals but also on people.
- Dogfighting promotes emotional desensitization to animal suffering and an enthusiasm for violence. Young children are often present at the fights, which can promote insensitivity to animal suffering, enthusiasm for violence, and a lack of respect for the law. These activities may even result in an increase in violent behavior towards humans as well as animals.
- People who are able to harm animals often harm people as well. It is a good thing to be humane and care about other living creatures.
- Dogs used for fighting have been bred for many generations to be dangerously aggressive toward other animals. The presence of these dogs in a community increases the risk of attacks not only on other animals but also on people. Children are especially at risk, because their small size may cause a fighting dog to perceive a child as another animal.
In countless neighborhoods across America, the only exposure children have to dogs are either those who partake in fights, or big and sometimes dangerous dogs used as a sort of bizarre macho accessory. As a result, people in certain neighborhood are afraid of dogs.
Although dogs can be dangerous, the vast majority of dogs are safe to be around and it is usually the dog’s guardian who is responsible for allowing the dog to harm a person, either by not properly training the dog, breeding aggressive dogs or not properly socializing the dog.
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The neglect, abuse, and exploitation of animals promote violence in our neighborhoods and families.
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If you suspect dogfighting, contact your local police (911), your local animal control, or the toll-free dogfighting anonymous tips hotline (1-877-847-4787).
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