DOG FIGHTING IN THE WORLD. Kirsehir, Turkey. Turkey. *Correspondence:

DOG FIGHTING IN THE WORLD Orhan Yilmaz1*, Fusun Coskun2, Mehmet Ertugrul3 1 Ardahan University, Vocational High School of Technical Sciences, 75000, ...
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DOG FIGHTING IN THE WORLD Orhan Yilmaz1*, Fusun Coskun2, Mehmet Ertugrul3 1

Ardahan University, Vocational High School of Technical Sciences, 75000, Ardahan, Turkey 2

Ahi Evran University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, 40100, Kirsehir, Turkey

3

Ankara University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, 06110, Ankara, Turkey *Correspondence: [email protected]

Abstract Aim of this paper is to revise dog fighting in the World. Dog fighting has been illegal in Canada since 1892. Nowadays in USA dog fighting is illegal in all 50 states. Dog fighting is also illegal in most South American countries. In Afghanistan although dog fighting is banned by the Taliban it is still common throughout Afghanistan as a winter weekend pastime. In India dog fighting is not common, but can be found in some rural areas, and is illegal as defined by the Indian law. In Japan dog fighting seemed as legal. Dog fighting was considered a way for the Samurai to retain their aggressive edge during peaceful times. In Pakistan dog fighting and other forms of animal fighting are highly popular in all parts of the country even though it has recently been banned. It is deeply rooted in the rural culture. In Russia dogfighting is prohibited in much of the West. These blood sports were officially eliminated in 1835 as Britain began to introduce animal welfare laws. In Africa the Republic of South Africa is a country where one of the most dog fighting events happens. Dog fighting and the possession of any fighting equipment designed for dog fighting is illegal in Australia. "Restricted Breed Dogs" cannot be imported into Australia. Key words: Canis familiaris, Pit Bull, blood sport, illegal sports, animal fight.

1. Introduction Domestic livestock animals serve humanity by giving plenty of products including meat, milk, egg, honey, floss silk, wool, fur, skin, feather, intestine, work, amusement etc (Ertugrul et al., 1993). Moreover some animals have been and continue to be used for fighting by some mentally abnormal people. In various regions of the world there are popular animal fighting events including fighting of bull, camel, cock, cricket, dog, horse, partridge and ram (Köhne and Ewigleben, 2000). For centuries usually dog fighting has been principally enjoyed by men. Unfortunately, the popularity of this activity has increased (Anon, 2014a). There was little initial interference from the law, since it was possible to fight two dogs in any hollow or shed without attracting much attention, for dogs fight with relatively little noise. They can easily be removed after the fight, carried away in sacks if their condition was likely to draw suspicion (Drable, 2014). For example in USA dog attacks and bites are not so common (Hussain, 2005). Although more than 20 fatalities happened each year in USA because of dog biting, there was no report that a man did during dog fight, but the dog. Maybe the 20 fatalities because of dog biting seem as tragic but at least 8.000 humans were killed by other human each year which was 200 times more than dog biting deaths (Lockwood, 1995).

2. Dog Fighting in America Dog fighting has been illegal in Canada since 1892. The current animal cruelty sections of the Criminal Code of Canada offer greater protection for cattle and other working animals. It also gives less protection for wild or stray animals than for animals that are ―kept for a lawful purpose‖ and make it extremely difficult to prosecute cases of neglect and dog fighting (Anon, 2014b). Nowadays in USA dogfighting is illegal in all 50 states (Anon, 2014c) yet the dogfighting industry is booming in USA, concentrated in urban areas and the rural South (Villavicencio,

2007). Like any other illegal underground activity, it is too difficult to determine how many people may be involved in dog fighting. Estimates based on fight reports in underground dog fighting publications, and on animals entering shelters bearing evidence of fighting, suggest that the number of people involved in dog fighting in the U.S. is in the tens of thousands (Anon, 2014d).There are estimated to be about 40,000 people involved in professional dogfighting, an illegal blood sport with fight purses as high as $100,000. Dog fighting has been reported in urban, suburban and rural settings in all regions of the country. Fighters were traditionally attracted to states with weaker penalties for dog fighting and animal cruelty, many in the American South—but laws continue to be made stronger throughout the country. As a result, this activity is no longer limited to any single area, but it is more likely to thrive wherever enforcement of anti-fighting laws is weak (Kalof and Taylor, 2007). John Goodwin, an expert on animal fighting with the Humane Society, says there could be as many as 100,000 additional people involved in "street fighting" often involving young people in gangs. A database proved that reports of dog-fighting cases increased from 16 to 127 between 2000 and 2006. Dogfighting is a misdemeanor in Idaho and Wyoming, but a felony everywhere else. In some states where dogfighting is a felony, it is still perfectly legal to own a fighting dog or be a spectator at a dogfight. A bill signed by President Bush in May 2007, the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act of 2007, Pub. L. 110-22 (Anon, 2015c), made the federal law against dogfighting tougher, by strengthening penalties, and banning interstate commerce and import and export related to animal fighting activities. Violators can now be sentenced to three years in jail and a $250,000 fine. Previously the maximum sentence was a year in jail. In spite of the laws, dogfighting is big business in USA (Anon, 2014e). Dog fighting is illegal in most South American countries yet it is widely practiced in much of Latin America, especially in Argentina, Peru and many parts of Brazil where dog fights are illegal. The American Pit Bull Terrier is by far the most common breed involved. The Fila

Brasileiro and Dogo Argentino are also used as fighting dogs. The Dogo Cubano and Dogo Cordoba were used for fighting a century ago, but have become extinct (Anon, 2014e, f).

3. Dog Fighting in Asia Despite being one of the poorest countries in the world, animal cruelty arguments don't carry much weight in Afghanistan, where dogfighting is a big business and a source of income for the owners of champion dogs. In Afghanistan a good fighting dog can be worth several thousand dollars. Although dog fighting is banned by the Taliban who outlawed the sport to prevent betting, which is not permitted in Islam, it is still common throughout Afghanistan as a winter weekend pastime. In Kabul, the capital city, the fights are public and policed for safety to the spectators. Dogs are not fought to the death, but to submission. Top dogs are worth as much as a new car (Villavicencio, 2007; Anon, 2014a; Motlag, 2014). In India dog fighting is not common, but can be found in some rural areas, and is illegal as defined by the Indian law. It is also illegal to possess dogfighting materials such as videos, or to attend an event. In Japan dog fighting seemed as legal (Villavicencio, 2007; Ensminger, 2010; Anon, 2014e,g). Yozei, who became emperor in 877 at the age of ten, set dogs and monkeys to fight (Brinkley and Kikuchi, 1912).According to historical documents, Hojo Takatoki, the 14th shikken (shogun's regent) of the Kamakura shogunate was known to be obsessed with dog fighting, to the point where he allowed his samurai to pay taxes with dogs. During this period dog fighting was known as ―inuawase‖. Dog fighting was considered a way for the Samurai to retain their aggressive edge during peaceful times. Several daimyō, such as Chosokabe Motochika and Yamauchi Yodo, both from Tosa Province (present-day Kōchi Prefecture), were known to encourage dog fighting. Dog fighting was also popular in Akita Prefecture, which is the origin of the Akita breed. Dog fighting evolved in Kochi to a form that is called ―token‖. Under modern rules, dogs fight in a fenced ring until one of the

dogs’ barks, yelps, or lose the will to fight. Owners are allowed to throw in the towel, and matches are stopped if a doctor judges it is too dangerous. Draws usually occur when both dogs will not fight or both dogs fight until the time limit. There are various other rules, including one that specifies that a dog will lose if it attempts to copulate. Champion dogs are called yokozuna, as in sumo. Dog fighting is not banned at a nationwide level, but the prefectures of Tokyo, Kanagawa, Fukui, Ishikawa, Toyama and Hokkaidō all ban the practice. Currently, most fighting dogs in Japan are of the Tosa breed which is native to Kochi (Anon, 2014e, g). In Pakistan dog fighting and other forms of animal fighting are highly popular in all parts of the country. It is deeply rooted in the rural culture, where some 70 percent of the population of 167 million people lives. It has been a way for tribes, clans and the rural people to socialize while being entertained. Even though it has recently been banned by law, it is still being practiced in rural Pakistan, especially in provinces such as Punjab, Azad Kashmir, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa. There can apparently be as much as millions of rupees at stake for the owners of winning dogs, so different breeds have carefully been bred and selected specifically for the purpose, such as the Bully Kutta and Gull Dong (Longbottom, 2011; Nizami, 2012). In Russia dogfighting is prohibited in much of the West. Even though animal cruelty laws exist, dog fighting is widely organized in some part of the country (Anon, 2015a). Throughout Central Asia and the Caucasus, and extending to the outskirts of Russia's capital, a form of the sport has thrived, cementing local legitimacy and gaining new followers since the Soviet Union's collapse 15 years ago. Animal rights advocates have long wished to have it banned in Russia and the rest of the former Soviet world, labeling it a cruel and a bloody diversion for gamblers and thugs. Laws prohibiting dogfights have been passed in certain places, and in others dogfights are legally held generally using Caucasian Shepherd Dog, Georgian Shepherd, Central Asian Shepherd Dog, and Wolfhounds. Temperament tests, which are a

common and relatively mild form of dog fighting used for breeding purposes, are fairly commonplace. Dog fighting is prohibited in Moscow by order of that city's mayor (Chivers, 2007; Villavicencio, 2007; Anon, 2014e).

4. Dog Fighting in Europe These blood sports were officially eliminated in 1835 as Britain began to introduce animal welfare laws. Since dogfights were cheaper to organize and far easier to conceal from the law than bull or bear baits, blood sport proponents turned to pitting their dogs against each other instead. Dog fighting was used as both a blood sport (often involving gambling) and a way to continue to test the quality of their stock. For decades afterward, dog fighting clandestinely took place in pockets of working-class Britain and America. In recent years the inner cities, especially in London have seen a steady rise in the number of convictions for dog fighting, primarily among teenage youths of Pakistani descent (Anon, 2014e). A research study was carried out to discuss financial aspects of illegal dog-fighting in the UK and to reflect upon and discuss the difficulties of researching illegal entrepreneurial activities such as dogfighting which were operated for criminal profit. According to the study dog fighting activities were conducted by urban criminals often in a rural setting. Those crimes invariably occurred in a closed social environment to which the authorities and the academic researcher cannot legitimately gain access. In the case study the illegal activities can legitimately be regarded as being an entrepreneurial activity as they entail trading in a Kirznerian sense as well as financial implications associated with gambling (Smith, 2011).

5. Dog Fighting in Africa In Africa the Republic of South Africa is a country where one of the most dog fighting events happens. For example a report stated the Animal Welfare Society was called out at least three

times a week to dog fights in the area of Cloetesville, Stellenbosch. In the country the American Pit Bull Terrier is the most often used dog in dog fights. It is know that dog fighting has been declared illegal in the Republic of South Africa. On the other hand dog fighting is still very popular in the underground world. The National Council of Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is the largest animal welfare organization in Africa. It has been the organization that has conducted the most raids and busts. For example 18 people were arrested, and 14 dogs were involved in 2013. Dog fighting is mostly practiced in the Western Cape, in the townships area where gangs and drugs are mostly associated with dog fighting. Dog fighting has been documented in South Africa, particularly in the Western Cape region of Stellenbosch. The Stellenbosch Animal Welfare Society frequently responds to complaints of night-time dog fighting in the town of Cloetesville in which hundreds of dogs fight. Young children may be used to transport fighting dogs to avoid arrest of the owners (Anon, 2014e, h, i).

6. Dog Fighting in Australia Dog fighting and the possession of any fighting equipment designed for dog fighting is illegal in Australia. Dog fighting in Australia is often associated with gambling activities and other illegal practices such as drug dealing and firearms. The RSPCA is concerned that dog fighting involves the suffering or even the death of dogs for the purpose of entertainment. The illegal nature of dogfighting in Australia means that injured dogs rarely get veterinary treatment placing the dog's health and welfare at even greater risk. "Restricted Breed Dogs" cannot be imported into Australia. These include the Dogo Argentino, the Japanese Tosa, the Fila Brasileiro, the Perro de Presa Canario and the American Pit Bull Terrier. Of these, the Pit Bull Terrier and the Perro de Presa Canario are the only breeds currently known to exist in

Australia and there are strict regulations on keeping these breeds, including a prohibition on transferring ownership (Anon, 2014e, h, j).

7. Conclusion It is too difficult to understand that some people defend dog fighting. According to those abnormal people dog fights are necessary and should be carried out (Gasimzadeh, 2014).This kind of people is rare in community but they are always present in the community and always will be. The most important thing to prevent dog fighting is inform related police or gendarme forces. Also penalties should be more increased.

Acknowledgements I would like to thank John Ensminger and Marc Paulhus for their constructive comments, careful scientific revision and English edit.

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