Dogfighting Remains in the News

I know you are tired of the topic of dogfighting, but apparently all the publicity surrounding the Eagles' hiring of Michael Vick has done little to up the ante in terms of punishment for others convicted of the same crime. Michael Vick spent 18 months in federal prison for operating an illegal dogfighting operation. A man accused of running a smaller, yet significant, operation in Philadelphia was given house arrest.

Dogfighting is illegal in all 50 states but sentencing guidelines vary state by state. In Pennsylvania, for example, the crime is considered a third-degree felony, punishable by 3 1/2 to 7 years in prison. But sentencing guidelines take into account prior convictions, which means that first time offenders usually get a token punishment.

Vick was running a multi-state operation--the highest level of offense involving thousands of dollars being wagered--and therefore received a stiff penalty. Local, smaller operations, in which dog owners stage fights, apparently happen more than the average dog lover might want to believe. Those perpetrators, however, are rarely caught and even more rarely punished.

In Philadelphia, as in many cities, it is often a question of manpower. According to George Bengal, the Pennsylvania SPCA's director of law enforcement, "I just don't have the bodies and the resources to address all of these the way they should be. I could have a full-time police force working 24 hours a day and still have calls waiting."

Finding fighting dogs is not hard, according to Nicole Larocco, the PSPCA's director of animal training. What is hard is penetrating the underground world that surrounds the behavior and arresting the individuals behind the operation. Dogfighters often house their paraphernalia in a different location from where they stage their fights.

Dogfighters, however, don't have to be caught in the act to face charges. Cases are often built around the equipment seized in raids in which dogs may not be present. This includes chains, veterinary steroids, cages, and rape stands on which female dogs are restrained during breeding.

Dogfighting is almost always linked to illegal drugs. And chances are that if a dogfighter is actually caught with drugs, he will get a stiffer penalty.

For the time being, dogfighting remains a high priority of both the SPCA and the Humane Society of the United States, for the simple reason that it is so prevalent. Which means that regardless of whether or not we are sick of hearing about Michael Vick, the message still has a long way to travel.