Abstract
This chapter begins with a brief introduction to the subject of animal fighting generally before focusing specifically on dog fighting. In terms of the prevalence of dog fighting, while both frontline accounts and the collection of complaints and prosecutions provide a compelling case for the existence of a problem, legal and enforcement complexities in the UK and USA, such as the difficulties in detecting such crimes via covert means, significantly inhibits an accurate picture of the scale of dog fighting. The subculture of dogmen and the process of neutralisation are considered by way of theoretical explanation for the participation of offenders in dog fighting.
The nature of these abhorrent crimes also presents obstacles for researching the motivations of dogmen who operate in utmost secrecy and would only accept and trust other active dogmen into the fold. Dog fighting culture is recognised as status driven and based on values of masculinity and honour—suggesting a distinct subculture of violence exists which encourages members to embrace values permitting the use of violence and which provides justification for their harmful and violent behaviour. The final section of the chapter examines the various responses to this offence, namely education, legislation and enforcement.
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Notes
- 1.
Each interview lasted between 60 and 180 minutes and all were conducted face-to-face between June 2014 and September 2015
- 2.
In the UK the term was specified in law as an offence within section 1.1 of the 1911 Protection of Animals Act, see http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo5/1-2/27 This was then superseded by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which does not employ this term. Elsewhere baiting is defined in more detail within legislation, see https://www.animallaw.info/statute/sc-dogfighting-chapter-27-animal-fighting-and-baiting-act
- 3.
Caution must be taken when using RSPCA data on reported animal abuse as each report does not necessarily equate to an actual fight (e.g offence) or to separate incidents (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/731514.stm)
- 4.
On rare occasions quail fighting has been reported to the RSPCA, such as a case in 2000 which led to the prosecution of a man who had been keeping 75 quail for the purposes of fighting, some of which had sustained injuries from fighting
- 5.
As defined by s9 of the UK’s Animal Welfare Act 2006
- 6.
According to the UK National Crime Agency, organised crime can be defined as serious crime planned, coordinated and conducted by people working together on a continuing basis. Their motivation is often, but not always, financial gain—see: http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/crime-threats/organised-crime-groups.
- 7.
Strouse (2009) cites figures reported by the now-defunct Sporting Dog Journal to which dog fighters submitted fight reports and applied for certificates of championship. Note the SDJ had, despite strict conditions, 6,000 subscribers in its heyday. The publishers were arrested in 2004 and the SDJ ceased to exist apart from one further edition in 2007.
- 8.
Response in answer to Parliamentary Questions 223989 and 9486 answered on the 23rd March and 16 th September 2015 respectively.
- 9.
- 10.
The pit bull’s once-revered characteristics of loyalty and tenacity have been manipulated, through breeding, by those looking for large and aggressive dogs to ruthlessly defend their homes or make them rich by fighting to the death in dog fighting matches.
- 11.
- 12.
- 13.
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Lawson, C. (2017). Animal Fighting. In: Maher, J., Pierpoint, H., Beirne, P. (eds) The Palgrave International Handbook of Animal Abuse Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-43183-7_16
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