Cruelty to animals in not just an animal welfare issue

The involvement of Atlanta Falcon’s quarterback Michael Vick in an organized dog fighting ring has focused attention on the heinous nature of the operation, Bad Newz Kennels, and the suffering of the dogs used in it. But the appalling truth is that organized animal fighting is widespread in this and many other countries, and Michael Vick is just the very notorious tip of an ugly iceberg of depravity and brutality.

At first, Vick denied being part of the dog fighting ring discovered at his rural Virginia property. However, on August 28 he pled guilty to federal dog fighting charges and also admitted that he personally helped to callously kill several Pit Bull dogs who were not considered aggressive enough to win fights. Vick is facing from one to five years in prison and has been suspended indefinitely from the National Football League (NFL). I hope that his sentence will be commensurate with his abhorrent crimes.

The Pit Bulls who survived the ruthless exploitation of Vick and his partners are now being evaluated by animal behaviorists. Their future is tenuous at best because of the hostile environment and abuse they have suffered. That being said, Pit Bulls are not inherently dangerous dogs. In a recent study of 122 dog breeds by the American Temperament Testing Association (ATT) pit bulls achieved a passing rate of 81.7% which is as good as or better than beagles (78.7%), and golden retrievers (81.1%).

Given a responsible guardian who provides them with plenty of socialization, training and exercise (things that all dogs need), these strong, intelligent, playful dogs make loyal and loving companions. The breed was once the most popular dog in America. It’s not widely known that Helen Keller and Teddy Roosevelt both had a Pit Bull dog. Petey, the much-loved canine companion of Our Gang on the TV show Little Rascals was a Pit Bull. The most decorated dog in World War I was Stubby, a Pit Bull. It is only in recent years that Pit Bulls have become the fighting dog of choice for heartless and mercenary individuals.

Dog fighting is illegal in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and the interstate transport of dogs for fighting purposes is prohibited by the federal Animal Welfare Act. Dog fighting carries a felony penalty in 48 states and the District of Columbia; in Idaho and Wyoming it is only a misdemeanor. Nevertheless, it is estimated that at least 40,000 people may be involved in the blood sport nationwide, and dog fighting, usually associated with rural settings, has seen a growth in cities, becoming increasingly linked to gangs, gambling, drug trafficking, money laundering, prostitution, illegal weapons, and intimidation. In the long term, dog fighting affects the community by promoting a culture of violence and criminal behavior.

For a number of years, scientific research has confirmed what many people who work in law enforcement and related fields have long known – that cruelty to animals and violence towards people are interconnected. Abuse of animals is a harbinger, a ‘canary in the mine’ warning that society disregards at its peril. A 1983 survey of pet-owning families with confirmed cases of child abuse and neglect found that animals were abused in 88 percent of these homes. And children who harm animals are more likely to commit acts of violence later in life. Studies have shown a link between violent offenders and a childhood history of cruelty to animals. The American Psychiatric Association “considers animal cruelty one of the diagnostic criteria of conduct disorder” (1).

The President of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), Dr. Gregory S. Hammer, drew attention to this connection between cruelty to animals and violence towards people in a strongly-worded letter sent to the NFL and its Commissioner, Roger Goodell. Dr. Hammer noted that, because of the adulation with which many children regard professional athletes, it is “…imperative that athletes act as good role models.” He went on: “A particularly disturbing consequence of a failure to address this subculture of violence is obvious when we recognize that numerous studies show that violent acts directed towards animals often indicate a tendency to commit violent acts towards people.” Even Michael Vick, although he had no apologies to the dogs he had so brutally exploited, acknowledged in his guilty plea that he had let down the youngsters “…who look at (him) as a role model.”

The San Francisco SPCA has been working for years to imbue children with humane values. One of the Society’s founding goals was to “educate the rising generation on the subject of humanity, and to prevent children from perpetrating acts of cruelty.” In The SF/SPCA newsletter of April 1875, the article on the first page emphasized the teaching of kindness to animals as a “primarily fundamental aspect of individual social development” (2). Today, SF/SPCA Humane Education programs continue to teach empathy, compassion and respect for life to youth. Humane Education presentations are offered free of charge to every school in San Francisco, and our Summer Camp Program and Junior Volunteer Program underscore the message. We believe that humane education should be an integral part of every school curriculum; by teaching children humane values, we believe that cycles of violence can be broken or prevented.

I hope the spotlight that has been thrown on the shadowy world of dog fighting by the notoriety of the Michael Vick case will increase law enforcement’s commitment to prosecuting individuals involved in this brutal crime. Dog fighting should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law; in the states where it is a misdemeanor (two), where owning a fighting dog is legal or only a misdemeanor (five), and where being a spectator at a dog fight is legal or only a misdemeanor (31), there should be strong encouragement to increase the penalties for these offenses to felony status. Through strong law enforcement, tough penalties, and constant public education, animal fighting can become nothing more than an obsolete relic of humankind’s darker impulses.

Sincerely,
Jan McHugh-Smith

(1) The Humane Society of the United States
(2) Bands of Mercy by the Bay: Humane Reform in 19th Century San Francisco, Mari Zachary