Many people end up at www.UnchainYourDog.org
because they are looking for information on dog fighting. We agree with
hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons that Cruel's Not Cool (Listen
to Simmons or see
poster).
Please, have a heart and treat other living and feeling creatures the way
you want to be treated: with respect and kindness. Dogs are social animals who
- in the wild - hunt together, sleep
together, and play together. It is a dog's nature to respect the pack
leader and get along with the rest of the pack. Not to fight. Dogfighting is cruel,
unnatural, and wrong.
Dog fighting is a felony, so report it to the police! To learn more about
dog fighting and how to stop it, visit our
Dogfighting page.
Authorities Investigate Pit Bull Breeder
www.wesh.com
March 1, 2005, BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA -- County authorities are investigating a pit bull breeding operation not far from a Merritt Island neighborhood.
Animal Services officers have been finding more and more of these breeding farms, and investigators said the dogs on this one have been linked to illegal pit-bull fights, WESH NewsChannel 2 reported.
Only a few weeks old, the pit bull puppies that agents found Monday may be in for a lifetime of fighting in the ring. It's a very short lifetime for the dogs who lose.
Damon Sharp runs a breeding operation. He said it's a full-time job, and he strongly denied any link to pit bull fights. "There's nothing illegal going on. There's no dog-fighting ring," Sharp said.
Investigators tracing the pedigrees of dogs known to be involved in the cruel practice of pit bull fights said they have traced at least two of the dogs to Sharp's land, where the dogs live chained in the woods. Sharp said he sells the dogs for $500 or $600 apiece. He has 27 dogs on his land.
Animal control officers checked the dogs to see if any have been neglected, abused or put in the ring. Few, if any, of the dogs examined Monday appeared to have fight scars.
Recently, animal services officers have found two other breeding operations in the county, with scores of dogs chained or caged in the woods -- some with scars from dog fights.
Sharp's breeding operation is behind a subdivision. Not many of the residents know the woods their homes back up to are home to purebred pit bulls.
"My children play outside quite a bit. To think that there could be dogs like that running around and coming through my neighborhood makes me feel a bit uncomfortable," said Judy Remmel. "We bought this house in a peaceful neighborhood thinking that it was something where we could expect to sleep with our windows and doors open, but we can't," said Krista Shaffer.
Although animal services officers are finding many pit bulls they believe are bred for the fight, they have not been able to bust one of the highly secretive dog fights in progress and they have not been able to link any owners or breeders to the cruel practice.
Some of the residents who are aware of the pit bulls say the operation should not be allowed here, but it is on land zoned for agriculture, so it's legal unless authorities find evidence of abuse or crime.
