| In the early winter of 2004, we found our beagle, | | | | the one on his property, my dog would be gone right |
| Biscuit, with her one remaining puppy near a creek | | | | now and I'd be cooling my heels in jail. That's how this |
| outside of our property line. Biscuit had managed to | | | | man operates. He and his young daughter love to |
| keep her tiny black puppy alive for four weeks in spite | | | | threaten to sue everyone for the smallest of |
| of bitter cold temperatures.Biscuit had a habit of having | | | | infractions, but when it comes time to take |
| her puppies where no one could find them until the | | | | responsibility, they are the very first to say we're all |
| puppies were about a month old. With this particular | | | | telling lies and that they are going to sue.Yet no one- |
| litter, Biscuit would run home for a meal and then | | | | not even the police- cared that my daughter was bit |
| disappear again. Efforts to find her were in vain until | | | | by an aggressive dog on our own property.Again, |
| that day.We fostered this puppy until she was about | | | | while I have no proof that these dogs were trained to |
| eight weeks old at which time we gave her to the | | | | fight, these are my suspicions as to why they are:A |
| family next door. They have a young daughter, so we | | | | dog that fights to the death is dangerous. In this case, |
| thought we were doing a good thing.We were wrong- | | | | the puppies were about six months old. The attack |
| dead wrong.They named the puppy Dixie. I offered to | | | | was vicious, upsetting to all of us and left both dogs |
| have Dixie spayed but they declined. Looking back, I | | | | completely drained. Dogs, especially this young, that |
| would have done things so much differently, but I | | | | fight like this are taught, not "just like that", as this man |
| learned many valuable lessons.When Dixie was about | | | | claims they are.Were this man as innocent as he |
| ten months old, a male chow found her. Three months | | | | claimed, he would have immediately offered an |
| later, eight more puppies were born.By this time, | | | | apology for what happened, asked if my daughter |
| rumors had abounded throughout our neighborhood | | | | was O.K. and then immediately took steps to ensure it |
| that the man next door was making money by fighting | | | | would not happen again. Instead, he went into his |
| dogs. People claimed that late at night he was below | | | | house and the dogs remained free to wander at |
| his property in the light of a bonfire and that the | | | | will.These dogs are all starving. All seven that I can see. |
| screams of dogs could plainly be heard. Though no | | | | Their ribs are clearly visible and their spines are |
| hard evidence has been presented by anyone to date, | | | | becoming visible. A starving dog turns into an |
| the entire neighborhood, and a few members of our | | | | aggressive dog, and aggressive dogs are loved by |
| police department are convinced this is true.Of the litter | | | | their dog fighting owners.All of the dogs are skittish. |
| of eight, two puppies have been either sold or given | | | | Dixie was not skittish for many months, but now she |
| away and two have died from circumstances | | | | shies away from even us at times. Dogs that aren't |
| unknown to anyone outside that family.The remaining | | | | socialized are skittish, afraid and can become |
| puppies, plus three of the four adult dogs this family | | | | aggressive without warning in some situations.The |
| keeps frequently came to our house. At first, I believed | | | | neighbor yells at the dogs quite often, and his yelling |
| it was to visit, since we love animals and we welcome | | | | can be heard from down the street. He cages all |
| other peoples pets onto our property, within reason.I | | | | seven dogs in the same small pen for days at a time, |
| fast determined that they were hungry. One dog- a | | | | and when they are finally let out from the cage, late |
| black chow- was constantly chained in their back yard, | | | | that same night there is a lot of car traffic into his |
| so I never knew of her condition.The other seven, | | | | yard.Dogs that are caged for long periods of time build |
| however were always dirty, neglected and | | | | up energy. Many people will chain their hunting dogs up |
| hungry.We'd feed them every day. I bought extra dog | | | | until it's time to hunt. The more energy the dog has to |
| food because no dog shall be hungry on my property. I | | | | burn, the more aggressive they are when they hunt. |
| went so far as to give them some money for dog | | | | This same principle applies to the fighting of dogs.Why |
| food, though I'll never know if that money was used | | | | is dog fighting harmful? For many reasons, the main |
| for their purpose or something else.A few days prior | | | | reason being that training a dog to fight ruins a dog. It's |
| to this writing, two of the puppies, Teddy Bear and | | | | the same principle as racing dogs, like the Greyhound. |
| Rudy followed my daughter to our home right after | | | | Once a Greyhound no longer has a race in them, most |
| school. This was fine until they got into a fight. In trying | | | | are killed because they simply hold no value.The same |
| to stop the fight, my daughter was bit.After | | | | holds true for trained fighting dogs. Either the owner will |
| determining that her wound was not serious and | | | | kill the dog or another dog will. All the dog knows is |
| putting her knee on ice, I ran outside to find my son | | | | fighting, aggression, and anger and it won't rest until it |
| now trying to stop the fight. By this time, the two | | | | kills again or it goes insane.Not only is it not responsible, |
| puppies had made their way to the very bottom of | | | | or ethical, to train a dog to fight, but it's criminal to allow |
| my yard and were engaged in a literal fight to the | | | | such dogs to roam free, especially where there are |
| death.I yelled at my son to get inside and had him call | | | | other people in close proximity. My daughter is a |
| 911. I remained with the dogs and a broom. I was not | | | | perfect reason.I wonder something, though. How many |
| successful in stopping this fight.When an officer finally | | | | more people will have to be hurt before the police do |
| arrived, he had to hit the aggressive dog with his | | | | their job? Not only was my daughter bit by one of his |
| nightstick and subsequently, removed the dog | | | | dogs, I was also bit last summer. I still have the nerve |
| altogether. The dog was Teddy Bear and he was | | | | damage to show for it. Moreover, the police did not |
| close to death as he lay on the back seat of the | | | | say a word about placing Teddy Bear in quarantine to |
| police cruiser.Rudy somehow managed to get up and | | | | check for rabies after he bit my daughter.In conclusion, |
| go home.After a full day of repeated attempts to talk | | | | there are no good reasons to fight dogs, or any animal |
| to my neighbor, I finally managed to talk with him a full | | | | for that matter. In addition to the inevitable loss of the |
| two days after this incident. I chose the street, which | | | | owners' dogs, there is great risk and potential for |
| provided a relatively safe and neutral environment- for | | | | someone else to be hurt or killed by such actions.If you |
| both of us.I explained what happened, explained that | | | | are a dog fighter, or know someone who is, please |
| my daughter had been bitten by one of his dogs on | | | | ask them two questions:Even though you don't care |
| our property and that I was concerned that since dogs | | | | enough about your animal to treat it well, don't you |
| are not born with this type of fighting in him, that the | | | | care enough about protecting the people around you? |
| neighbors suspicions that he in fact was fighting dogs | | | | Is it worth risking the life or health of someone else for |
| might be true.Not only was he not concerned about | | | | a few minutes of greed, and animal cruelty just to |
| my daughter, he completely blew up at the fact that | | | | make a few bucks or to get your kicks?It is my |
| the neighborhood was telling these lies about him. He | | | | opinion that in the end, when it comes to dog fighting, |
| became extremely defensive and hostile. Without | | | | no one emerges as a winner.LifeWriter is an author on |
| offering any apology for my daughter and without | | | | |
| offering any solution to prevent this from happening | | | | which is a site for Creative Writers.She writes |
| again, he yelled an expletive about the neighborhood | | | | frequently on issues of child abuse, mental health and |
| and stalked away from me, saying he was done with | | | | animal issues. |
| it all.Had this been his daughter, and had my dog been | | | | |