Over the weekend a confidential informant appeared on ESPN to talk about Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and his involvement in illegal dog fighting. If what he says is true, the members of the betting community should be outraged. While making football picks is ok, picking dogs in this “sport” is not. Earlier this month Virginia police raided a house owned by Vick where authorities seized evidence and dog-fighting paraphernalia. Since then Vick has maintained his innocence and has blamed a relative for housing and participating in this barbaric activity. Dog fighting is horrible. Plain and simple. The acts carried out in these “rings” are some of the most horrifying and cruel events I have ever witnessed.   I am an animal lover and find it despicable when these animals are lead to slaughter. These fights can last up to 2 hours as these animals claw, scratch and bite at the necks and faces of the other dog. The fight is only over when one dog so thoroughly hurts the other that death and permanent injury are more-than-likely outcomes.  

Not only does the damage to these animals take place in the rings but a dog that competes in one of these events is psychologically damaged as well. In order to compete in these to-the-death matches a dog is trained as a vicious killer, to attack on command – a deadly weapon on a hair trigger. To accomplish this, a dog and often times it is a Pit Bull Terrier, will live in harsh conditions, endure beatings to get the killer instinct these barbarian’s desire. So what happens to these dogs when their fighting days are over?

If a dog is lucky enough to end its career without permanent damage where does it go? There is no Masters division for dog fighting. Adoption is out of the question. American families are not open to the idea of bringing a killer into their house. But what is most disturbing is how casually they take the lives of these animals. They see them as property and can do with them as they see fit. There is no “man’s best friend” in these circles. They feel their superiority as rich humans entitles them to participate in the deaths of these noble creatures.  A dog is loyal and will always obey its master so I wonder how these people can sleep at night knowing they are leading their animal to death, to prove their own machismo and make a few bucks.  Back to Vick. The appearance and voice-altered informant says Vick is not only involved but is a “heavyweight,”  meaning he had seen Vick bet money on the outcomes sometimes betting upwards of $30,000 on the outcome of these horrific fights.  That alone should make anybody that has ever made a bet or even participated in an office pool very angry. We have tried very hard to distance ourselves form these back alley-wagers. Our industry has made strides to legitimize what we do and these jokers go and set us back 10 years. Every article or report on animal fighting is a bruise on our community’s face.  This is not an NFL problem it is a society problem and once we start saying that these events are not OK and that will not tolerate those that participate, we will be able to change the culture that supports it. It’s also a Michael Vick problem - our new “most hated” NFL player.