I found something really interesting and really disturbing over at Jan’s Funny Farm today. She said there is a new type of dog fighting happening in this country. And it’s in the trunks of cars. Yes, the trunks. It’s called, appropriately, “trunking.”

This is what Jan said:

” We were stunned and shaken to receive an email yesterday with information on a deviation from dogfighting in a pit or on the street. We just can not fathom the cruelty of those humans whose humanity has died.

We’re not going to beat around the bush or hide it. We’re going to publicize it so that those of you who are not presently cognizant of this will become aware and report it if you ever suspect the next blasting music you hear to be a cover-up for this type of horror.

It’s called trunking. And you can undoubtedly guess what that means. Two dogs, generally fighting pit bulls, are closed inside the trunk of a car. The music is turned up to cover the sounds of the fight. The car will either remain stationary or be driven around until the fight is over. After 15 to 30 minutes, the trunk is opened.

The dead or dying loser is tossed aside and the winner — well, what does he “win”? His injuries are undoubtedly never treated. But eventually, if he survives a few more trunkings, he might end up in the pit with big money bet on him. After all, he has a reputation now.

We found a news video with several law enforcement officers being interviewed on the subject. It is worth a few minutes of your time to watch it. For the dogs. They need us to be informed and alert to help them whenever and however we can.”

Click here to read the whole post and to see the video about trunking at Jan’s Funny Farm. The video shows several pit bull fights so beware.

Thanks to Jan for allowing us to cross-post this and thanks to her for bringing awareness of this issue to light.

This week’s pet blog of the week is another dog blog, the Vick Dog Blog. If you guys haven’t heard of it or been there to visit, I strongly encourage you to do so.

I know that we in the pets community have all followed the progress of most of the Michael Vick pit bulls, starting with the day they were taken into captivity. The nine dogs at Vick Dog Blog are strong, healthy, happy and living life as it should be. No more dogfighting for them, thank God, and thanks to the wonderful people who took them in.

Vick Dog Blog’s subhead says, “Tails, Stories and More from the Dogs Who Survived Vick and the System.” Indeed. The posts are written by the dogs (such smart boys and girls they are) which lends a genuine good feeling to the blog. The dogs ramble on about everything from digging in the dirt to their days at the park.

The best thing about this blog, besides the fact that all these rescue pets are featured and thriving, is that it’s filled with pictures. Really good ones!

This blog is a great read and it’s so much fun to follow these dogs as they live normal, healthy lives. They all seem so happy now.

Vick Dog Blog is a great read and I hope you all go there to check up on some of the Michael Vick pit bulls.

It’s time for the Pet Blog of the Week! This week, it’s a dog blog called BAD RAP: Bay Area Dog-lovers Responsible About Pit Bulls.

The BAD RAP blog is one of my favorites. As it says on the group’s website, BAD RAP is “a diverse and growing group of owners, rescuers, and supporters of the American Pit Bull Terrier.” They are one of the most highly respected pit bull rescue pet groups out there. Their animal shelters for pit bulls are highly functional, well-run, successful, and warm and caring.

The BAD RAP blog chronicles the lives of the rescue pets the group has, and is mostly concerned with educating people about pit bulls. There are posts about dogfighting and the following the Michael Vick dogs, about dog breed information, about training the dogs, and more.

Whether you are a pit bull lover or if you don’t really like pit bulls, I would encourage you to visit the BAD RAP blog. You will definitely learn something about the dog breed of pit bulls and it just might change your mind about the breed.

Did you know that Amazon.com is selling illegal animal fighting books, magazines and DVDs?

Me either. I just found out.

According to a docket on the Humane Society of the United States website,

“Federal and state laws prohibit the sale and shipment of animal fighting magazines and videos, but Amazon.com sells subscriptions to two cockfighting magazines that are little more than catalogs of advertisements for fighting animals and weapons that are illegal to sell. Until the day The HSUS filed suit, Amazon also sold two dog fighting videos in which 18 dogs were actually maimed and killed. The HSUS will argue that Amazon’s sale of these illegal materials is an unlawful trade practice under District of Columbia law.”

To tell the Amazon CEO how you feel about this injustice to animals everywhere, click here:
https://community.hsus.org/campaign/US_2008_amazon_fighting4

Stay tuned for updates on this situation…

Thanks to the United States Humane Society and Mary O’Connor Shaver from Columbus Top Dogs for this information. 

The U.S. Senate at the end of last week followed the lead of the House of Representatives and overrode President Bush’s veto of the Farm Bill, ushering in key new protections for animals.

The final bill (which is now considered law) - except for one section excluded due to a technical glitch - bans the import of puppies from foreign puppy mills for commercial sale in the U.S. The law spares young, unweaned and unvaccinated pups from harsh, long-distance transport during which they are exposted to extreme temperatures and often die in cargo holds — and will keep foreigh breeders from the tragic overpopulation of pets in this country.

The Farm Bill also adds a provision to federal law to make almost any form of animal fighting a federal felody. It’s also now a federal crime to knowingly possess or train animals for fighting, and the maximum prison time for a single violation of any section of the law varies from 3 to 5 years.

It’s hard to overstate what a blow this is to dogfighters and cockfighters and it brings us one step closer to eradicating these criminal industries!

The law also authorizes an increase in potential fines - quadrupuled from $2,500 to $10,000 - for violations of the Animal Welfare Act, fines that haven’t been increased in more than 20 years. Such penalties will more effectively deter abuses at puppy mills, laboratories, circuses and other facilities that use animals.

This is a HUGE victory for animals!

Dogster’s For the Love of Dog Blog has a great dog story up about pit bulls setting an example of good doggie citizenship!

Program turns notorious dogs into good citizens
Pit bull owners steered away from dogfighting
By Gerry Smith | Tribune reporter
10:22 PM CDT, March 22, 2008

On the streets of Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, Sean Moore and his 8-month-old pit bull, Jigga, are setting an example.

 ”The pit bulls you normally see, they’re pulling, they’re not listening, they’re wild, they’re barking at people,” said Moore, 38. “When [other owners] see us with the same dogs, they ask, ‘How do y’all do that? And how much does it cost?’”

For the full dog story, visit Dogster’s…

Seems that PETA is coming down on the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary for recuperating the Michael Vick dogs, the brutalized victims of his dogfighting ring. These people (at PETA) never cease to amaze me. If anything, they are jealous because of the money and recognition tied to these dogs that they didn’t get. 

Anyways, read this great article in the New York Times that their Sports Writer, William C. Rhoden, wrote about the differences between PETA and Best Friends Animal Sanctuary:

Vick Case Exposes Rift Among Animal Rights Advocates

Many people have become anti-PETA recently becuase of the group’s unsavory behavior and political agenda. Furthermore, read this anti-PETA article about the group’s mass killing of pets it was supposed to rehabilitate and adopt out.

I wrote a post last week about a guy, a school counselor, who was arrested for breeding and holding fighting dogs (Pit Bulls) in Ohio.

I briefly touched on a point: pit bulls get a bad rapp. I think this bad reputation stems from two distinct concepts.

First: the “danger factor” of any dog is created by the dog’s owner, history and upbringing. If a dog, any dog, is abused or neglected, he learns to fend for himself. He will become overprotective of his property, his food, his toys (if given any), etc. He will become mean because he’s afraid. It’s amazing what an abusive environment does to a dog-any dog.  Ultimately the irresponsible owner is the catalyst for any attack the dog may make.

Second: the media decides which stories about “bully dogs” to publish. They liked to talk about viscous pit bulls long before the Michael Vick dogfighting ring was unearthed. It’s easy for people who don’t know the pit bull dog breed to carry the commom misperception that the pits are mean, hence. There are so many stories on the evening news about children or women or small dogs getting attacked by pit bulls. The news shows pictures of these mean pit bulls and complements the dramatic scenes with serious tones of voice. They are setting a stage.

The news doesn’t show stories about German Shepherds or Chow Chows attacking people. These breeds have been known to be prone to violence by nature but the media doesn’t frame them as such because the public is already so entangled in the sensationalism of “viscous” pit bulls. Sensationalism sells.

The media has somewhat turned a corner recently. They are now more focused on reporting dogfighting rings and the people who partake in the violent blood sport. This is the new sensationalism.

The Best Friends Animal Society recently ran an article on its website about the facts and fiction related to the pit bull dog breed. They said,

Singling out any breed is akin to racial profiling of people, and its just as misleading and plain wrong. There are good and bad people in all creeds, colors and backgrounds. Same goes for dogs — of all kinds. But few people know enough about dogs to make the right distinctions, and can be easily persuaded that all dogs of a certain breed or type are bad.”

(To read the full article from Best Friends, click here.) Best Friends knows first-hand the worst of circumstances. They have 22 of Michael Vicik’s pit bulls. Most have turned into sweet-natured, loving dogs. A few are still hesitant to accept people. One will be shelter-bound for life because he was exposed to so much violence and abuse that it’s not possible for him to be adopted. But they are all getting a chance to have a good life now. They are all getting a chance to avoid the bad rap.

Talk to responsible pit bull owners and you will get stories of love, acceptance and unique personalities.

Our family has a pit bull. He follows you around because he can’t wait to sit on your lap, literally, when you plant yourself on the couch. He wants to be loved and he wants to give love. He follows you to the back door because he can’t wait to go outside and have you throw his ball. He greets neighbors with a friendly bark and a wagging tail. He has friends in the neighborhood. (See more sweet pit bull pictures like the one above.)

I think its so unfair that pit bulls are classified as viscous in so many states (a whole separate post coming soon on that note), when really it’s the irresponsible owner who is usually behind any viscous dog.

What do you think about pit bulls? I encourage your comments and feedback.

             11 pit bulls are safe and sound after being rescued in Preble County, Ohio last weekend. The pit bulls were taken from the backyard of a guy who is a drug and alcohol counselor for the county Health Department by day, and animal abuser by night apparently.

Amazing that a guy who tries to help humans can be such a viscous person in his spare time.
The dogs had scarring and injuries but they will not be put down. Some of them came into the County Resource Center vomiting blood and foaming at the mouth, the poor things.

The owner is being investigated and so is the scope of the dogfighting operation since the owner of the property is also a breeder. The name of his kennel says it all if you ask me — Drive or Die Kennel. His website boasts of premier breeding lines and shows pictures of the animals chained to concrete floors.

The Ohio Director of the U.S. Humane Society, Dean Vickers, said the county is a hot area for dogfighting and that he wants to present a solid case to a grand jury. No charges have been filed but it is expected that federal dogfighting charges will be filed before the end of the month.

Ohio is a state that classifies American Pit Bull Terriers as viscous dogs. Owners are required to leash and contain their dogs at all times. I am so glad the state carries a federal penalty for pit dogfighting - which in my opinion classifies the human as viscous - but don’t understand why the breed is considered dangerous.

The danger a dog poses is dictated by its upbringing I think. Anyone can raise any breed to be viscous. If you wanted to make a German Shepherd viscous, then raise him to be mean.  The media doesn’t help either. There are tons of dog attacks across the country on a daily basis but the media only report the pit attacks.

Pit bulls are widely known for their sweet demeanors. We have one in the family and he is sweet as sugar. He loves to play, he is a huge cuddler, and he loves the kitten of the family. There is no way he is a viscous dog yet he has to be on a leash in his own backyard (which he never is by the way).

When will Ohio get with it and repeal the law already? Numerous campaigns have emerged to advocate for just that, namely the Stop the Pit Bull Ban petition, online here. 

As for rallying against pit dogfighting? Well the 11 pit bulls mentioned in this article were saved because of an anonymous tip to the state attorney general’s anti-dogfighting hotline, so people are very aware of the terrible circumstances that surround dogfighting. And the Ohio Valley Dog Owners, Inc. has formed a task force to draft new legislation to help control it, legislation which targets owners mostly.

See more sweet pit bull pictures like the one above…and tell me what you think about state laws that classify pit bulls as viscous dogs.

A whole nation looked on as a ragged group of Pit Bulls was rescued from Michael Vick’s southeastern Virginia “compound” last year.  The dogs had been mutilated, neglected, beaten and bloodied all at the hands of one of the gnarliest dog fighting rings ever broken up.

And a whole nation is looking on now as the little sweeties are rehabilitated, learning to love and indeed working towards becoming “man’s best friend.”

  22 of the Pit Bulls have been taken to Utah’s Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah. Sweet-tempered by nature, the dogs are learning to love, to play with toys, to run around and to get into mischief.

According to CNN:

Each dog has its own pen inside an octagonal housing unit and an outdoor run. They’re being fed “canine caviar” — a special dog food formulation. They’re chewing rubber bones. They can wrestle rubber toys filled with doggie treats.

Click here for the full story.

One of the most twisted stories of fate and karma intertwined that I can think of, Vick is paying for part of the rehabilitation of these dogs that he spent so much time tearing down. His fortune has rapidly disappeared since his trial, and in late November he agreed to pay nearly $1 million for the care of the dogs found on his property. It is unclear how much money went to each shelter that took the dogs in.

I have volunteered at many animal shelters in my lifetime and never have I seen one quite like Best Friends. I have never been there, but it seems like a homeless animal’s paradise from the way the media has portrayed it and based on the pictures on the website.

For a full rundown of the “ Vicktory Dogs” progress, and to make a donation to this wonderful animal shelter, visit Best Friends Animal Society.