Ration Reality

On July 17, 2007, Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Michael Vick was indicted on federal charges of conspiracy related to an alleged dog fighting ring of which he was a part. These allegations actually go back more than 5 years, so the indictment was not a complete surprise to most.

On the surface, you might be tempted to say, “Well, it looks like ol’ Ron Mexico has stepped in it again.” I would, however, challenge you to reconsider this statement. Animal abuse, cruelty and torture–at least in my book–are far more serious offenses than making an obscene gesture in front of millions at an open sporting event or carrying a mysterious substance in a water bottle engineered with a secret compartment.

In fact, I would submit that these incidents don’t come close to the same level.

Animal fighting is a long-practiced tradition of cruelty in our culture. It goes back to the Roman spectacle of the Colosseum , where animals were pitted against one another and, often, against humans for the entertainment of the hoi polloi. It involves the exploitation of an animal’s instinct for self-preservation. This can be accomplished by severely abusing the animal, feeding it raw meat, sensory deprivation and confinement and, finally, “baiting” it with weaker and less-aggressive animals that serve as practice for the “killer” animal‘s destructive techniques.

Once the domain of poor, dumb fuckwits with no more imaginative concept of how to amuse themselves on a Friday night, dog fighting has made its way into more affluent circles of late. Everyone from “flash-in-the-pan” hip-hopper DMX to noted zoologist and cancer researcher Alane Koki have been cited as having ties to underground dog fighting rings.

If these allegations are true, I am of the opinion that Ms. Koki is a sort of Dr. Mengele for our times: on the one hand, advancing science for humanity but exacting the horrific, brutal and senseless deaths of myriad undeserving creatures.

Now, I’m not trivializing the atrocities of Mengele to those of Ms. Koki. I am aware that there is a difference between humans and animals, but suffering is suffering and I have not seen scientific proof to suggest that dogs feel less physical or emotional pain than humans. Oh, and there’s one more difference between Koki and Mengele: Mengele’s barbaric experiments were observed, recorded and analyzed for woefully-misbegotten medical advances. Alane Koki’s respected cancer research has NOTHING to do with the alleged torture and destruction of innocent dogs in backwoods pits and alleys across the nation, at least not as far as I can tell.

Perhaps you don’t agree that this is a steadily-growing problem. Perhaps you see Pit Bull Terriers, Rottweilers and other dogs commonly associated with pit fighting as dangerous and see their destruction in fights as something unfortunate, but ultimately beneficial. I guess I have to raise the stakes for you, then.

If you own a Schnauzer, Irish Setter or even a cat, ferret or spider monkey, YOUR PET could just as easily be victimized by illegal animal fighting rings. All over the country, and especially in the Southeast, pets are stolen from backyards, parking lots and dog parks. Some are sold to laboratories, hospitals and universities to be subjects in (often grisly) medical experimentation. Some are sold to companies that produce low-grade pet food and are made into kibble…and some of them are sold to kennels that specialize in breeding fighting dogs. They are used to taunt (“bait”) the dogs that are being “trained” to fight.

Often, these dogs will be denied food for an unusually long period of time or put through a long and exhausting training battery. Then the “bait” animal will be placed just out of reach from the dog, sometimes being fed in sight of the hungry “fighter” dog. Then the deprived dog is let loose on the bait, oftentimes killing it and eating its flesh for nourishment. This helps to nurture the domestic dog’s instinct for hunting and killing and helps it appreciate the taste of raw meat.

Your pet wouldn’t hurt a fly? You still need to worry. In fact, the nicer and less aggressive your animal is, the better. These bastards look at their dogs as investments and want to minimize their chances of being injured by a bait animal fighting back. Pet theft is rampant and it’s a double tragedy because it not only results in substantial harm to the animals but also deprives the people who’ve adopted these pets as members of their families. By Soylent Ape’s humble reckoning, if you show me someone who pirates pets for these ill purposes, I’ll show you a motherfucker who BELONGS IN THE GROUND! Your failure to stand up against animal fighting will result in this sickening black market continuing.

I once knew a county Animal Control Officer who routinely recovered and rescued dogs from fights and breeders. This is a man who, as a patrol officer, had seen human carnage from syphilis-ridden hookers to murder-suicides to fatal car accidents and had taken a human life with a mere movement of his index finger. He said nothing could prepare him for the ungodly suffering he saw on a regular basis in the Animal Control Unit. From kennels congealed in blood to emaciated dogs to animals so riddled with infection that they could not be saved. Dead dogs would draw flies by the hundreds in the summer heat, while other dogs ate and drank just a few feet away. There is legitimate debate about whether people should eat meat, wear fur or keep pets, but I don’t know how anyone could argue for this kind of treatment for any animal.

We should let Michael Vick have his day in court. If he is found to be not guilty, he will forever have my respect for enduring this very damaging public affair. However, if he is found guilty, this might be society’s best chance to make an example of a high-profile dog fighter. In the event of Vick’s conviction, I would encourage Falcons fans (especially season ticket holders) to contact the team and the NFL with regard to withdrawing your support from the franchise if Vick is not disciplined in some real and substantial way.

I lived in a very small coal mining town when I was a kid. I remember knowing that a dog fight was going to be happening at some remote location and not being able to tell the police about it because I knew several cops would be there with their own dogs. If you know about this activity in your local area, notify the authorities. Many counties, parishes and municipalities in the U. S and Canada have officers devoted to animals and animal-related crime. If you know the police won’t help or you fear retribution, you can contact the local humane society chapter in your area or the American Humane Society.

American Humane Society
www.americanhumane.org

Atlanta Falcons
4400 Falcon Parkway
Flowery Branch, GA 30542
770-965-3115
www.atlantafalcons.com

-Soylent Ape

Update: Check out the story of Gypsy

thanks for the link, Stiletto