The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is in possession of information that could lead to a swoop on organised dog-fighting rings across the country.
The Cape Times reported on Wednesday that the people being targeted in the SPCA’s crackdown are professionals: lawyers, businessmen, dog breeders and even a veterinarian and a pastor.
They are pitting their dogs against each other in home-made rings, empty swimming pools, abandoned warehouses and suburban homes, and believe their actions are not cruel, but are designed to maintain the American pit bull terrier’s fighting bloodline.
When dogs refuse to fight, either jumping out of the ring, trying to flee their opponent, or lying down and submitting to another dog’s attack, their owners either destroy or sell them, because they are ”curs” and do not have ”game” — the necessary aggression and tenacity to take on another dog in the ring and to fight, sometimes to the death.
That’s just some of the information obtained by the SPCA over a period of ”several years”, said the organisation’s Cape of Good Hope branch chief executive, Allan Perrins.
One SPCA inspector, who has been tracking these dog fighters ”for 10 years” and asked not to be named, said a ”grand champion dog”, which has won a number of fights, is apparently looking for challengers at the moment.
It is not known when the fight will happen, or if an opponent has been secured, said the inspector.
Dogs are trained and schooled for up to two years to prepare them for actual fights.
”A lot of money is spent on getting pedigreed dogs with a lot of ‘game’,” said Perrins. ”A grand champion dog alone could fetch R5 000 in stud fees.”
The Kennel Union of Southern Africa (Kusa) on Tuesday condemned dog fighting as ”utterly barbaric”.
”We are totally and utterly against any form of dog fighting,” said Kusa president Greg Eva.
Perrins said people should be aware that dog fights could be happening ”right next door” in their neighbourhoods.
”If you see large groups of people coming and going with dogs, or hear dogs barking, or see dogs being brought into properties in cages, you should call the SPCA immediately,” he said. — Sapa