Latest news with #dogfighting
National Post
3 days ago
- National Post
Barbara Kay: Pit bulls are a canine scourge, and the numbers prove it
Two weeks ago, a Montreal woman was viciously attacked by her stepson's previously amiable pit bull, losing two litres of blood from some 20 lacerations on both arms. Heavily bandaged victim Melanie Chartrand, marvelling that she survived, told TVA News (in French), 'She was chewing my arm and she liked it,' adding, 'These are dogs that were designed for fighting. I have the impression that it can happen to anyone, at any time.' Chartrand is right on both counts. Article content Article content Four decades ago, when pit bulls were associated almost entirely with dogfighting, the general public understood the danger of the breed as empirically received wisdom. Then, pit bull related fatalities were vanishingly rare. Now, pit bull types are the most popular dogs in America, making up six per cent of the U.S. dog population. Between 2005 and 2019, they accounted for 66 per cent of 521 U.S. dog bite-related fatalities. There are far fewer pit bulls in Canada, but their disproportionately high attack numbers here mirror those in the U.S. Article content Article content What eliminated the cultural guardrails that prevented so much carnage? Article content Ideology. Notably multiculturalism, which attributes all social discrimination to racism, and speciesism, which precludes moral distinctions between humans and other species. What we got, when these theories were applied to pit bulls, was 'multicaninism,' and with it the assumption that, for example, if police shoot more pit bulls than other breeds — and they do — the disproportion is racially motivated. In fact, the police shoot more pit bulls because of public safety and self-defence. Article content Article content Stereotyping individuals according to their race is wrong, but to describe the stereotyping of any animal breed as racism is simply absurd, since the entire point of 'breeding' animals is to produce specific traits. Thus, the conflation of human 'race' with animal 'breed' runs completely counter to scientific facts. And yet the propaganda mill of the pit bull advocacy movement — resting on bogus 'studies' by speciesism-enamoured academics — has successfully gaslit the media, many politicians and otherwise brainy public intellectuals into the belief that they are combatting racism when they defend the 'right' of pit bulls not to be 'profiled.' Article content Article content Katja Guenther, for example, a gender and sexuality studies professor and pit bull advocate, is the author of the award-winning book, The Lives and Deaths of Shelter Animals, which emerged from three years of field work at a high-intake animal shelter. (Pit bulls are the highest-intake breed in the U.S., making up between 19 and 32 per cent of the shelter population.)
BBC News
07-07-2025
- BBC News
Italian 'hero' sniffer dog killed with nail-filled sausages
An Italian sniffer dog was killed after eating sausages filled with nails that were thrown into his kennel, his trainer has a seven-year-old bloodhound, had been hailed as a hero for finding nine missing people during his career, and was once honoured by Italy's prime Meloni condemned the "vile, cowardly, unacceptable" killing in a post on X. "Thank you for all you have done, Bruno," she dog's trainer, Arcangelo Caressa, said he knew who was responsible and vowed to make them pay for their actions. It has been suggested the killing was carried out as revenge for Bruno's role is dismantling dog fighting rings."Today I died with you," Mr Caressa said in a Facebook post announcing Bruno's said he found the dog - who, he says, he saw as a "brother" - on Friday morning in his kennel at the Endas search and rescue training centre in Taranto, Puglia."You fought your whole life to save humans and now it was a human who did this to you," he added. "You were, you are and you will continue to be my hero."The trainer said Italy's police and prosecutor's office had launched a joint investigation into the the culprits, Mr Caressa said: "I know who you are, and you will pay for it."He told local media had received death threats in the weeks leading up to Bruno's death. "It wasn't a random gesture. They want me to step aside. But I will never give in. This is a vile attack, done for money and revenge," he told the Corriere della Sera newspaper. Italian MP and animal rights activist Michela Vittoria Brambilla has urged the police to bring those responsible to suggested Bruno had been targeted by criminals because of his role in seizing dogs used in fighting. A newly strengthened law, spearheaded by Brambilla, can punish anyone who kills an animal using torture by up to four years in prison and a €60,000 (£51,000) has called for this law to be applied due to Bruno's "long and painful death" from internal bleeding, brought on by the nail-filled sausages."We owe it to this noble animal," she said in a statement.
The Sun
07-07-2025
- The Sun
Fury as hero sniffer dog Bruno who found nine missing people dies after eating nail-filled sausages thrown into kennel
OUTRAGE is sweeping across Italy after a heroic sniffer dog who saved nine lives died in agony after eating sausages stuffed with nails. Bruno the bloodhound was discovered Sunday morning lying in a pool of blood at a training facility in Taranto, southern Italy. 4 The deadly bait, believed to have been tossed into his kennel overnight, caused fatal internal bleeding. The seven-year-old dog had become a national hero after successfully tracking down nine missing people, including Alzheimer's patients, across the Apulia region. He was once honoured by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who yesterday led the wave of public fury and mourning. In a powerful statement, Meloni condemned the killing as a "vile, cowardly, unacceptable act." "Thank you for everything you did, Bruno," she added. Trainer Arcangelo Caressa, who found Bruno in distress, paid an emotional tribute on Facebook. He wrote: "This morning I died alongside you. "You fought your whole life to save humans and now it was a human who did this to you." Prosecutors have opened an investigation, with police scouring CCTV footage from the facility in a bid to catch the perpetrator. Tourist who kicked sniffer dog 'so hard it flew into the air' at US airport is deported after being slapped with fine Authorities suspect the poisoning may be an act of revenge, possibly linked to Bruno's role in helping crack down on illegal dog-fighting rings. Mr Caressa revealed Bruno had not only rescued people but had recently assisted in operations against animal cruelty and clandestine dog fights. "Some families wrote to me this morning to thank me again," he added. "Their loved ones are alive thanks to Bruno. And now he is no longer with us." Animal rights activists are now calling for swift justice under Italy's newly strengthened animal cruelty laws. Introduced on July 1, the law includes penalties of up to four years in prison and €60,000 fines for intentionally killing animals with cruelty. Michela Vittoria Brambilla, the politician behind the legislation, called for its immediate use. She said: "A nail-filled bait gave a horrible, long and painful death from internal bleeding to he who had saved so many lives. "At the thought of such boundless cruelty one should be ashamed of belonging to the human race." Messages of grief and solidarity have poured into the National Dog Training Centre, where Bruno served. 4 4 Taranto's mayor, Pietro Bitetti, said: "Together we must give a strong signal: we will not permit Taranto to be identified with such barbaric acts. "Our community deserves to be seen for what it truly is: united, respectful and civil." It comes after a tourist who violently kicked a sniffer dog at a US airport - sending it flying through the air - was fined and deported. Freddie, a five-year-old beagle working with US customs, was attacked at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia after alerting officers to a suspicious suitcase. The dog had flagged the bag belonging to Hamed Ramadan Bayoumy Aly Marie, who had just arrived from Cairo and was waiting at baggage claim. According to a federal complaint, after a brief exchange with a customs officer, Hamed lashed out and kicked Freddie 'so hard that he was lifted off of the ground.' The injured dog was rushed to a vet and treated for bruising to his right rib. Hamed pleaded guilty to the assault the next day, was slapped with an $840 (£611) fine to cover vet bills, and was deported back to Egypt shortly afterward.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Yahoo
14 people sentenced after GA dog fighting ring bust
A judge has sentenced 14 defendants in a large-scale federal dog fighting case in Southwest Georgia to a total of 343 months in prison. According to court records, defendants from three states all gathered on a property in Donalsonville, Georgia, on April 24, 2022, where they held a dog fighting event. Someone called 911, and police arrived and saved 27 dogs that night, including one found in the blood-soaked fighting pit with severe injuries, who died soon after it was found. Police also seized a distribution-sized amount of methamphetamine. Cell phones that were seized at the event contained evidence of some of the participants' participation in the dog fighting 'industry,' including large text message chains about dog fighting, fight reports, and dog fighting videos and photos, including one of a dog that had been hanged to death in a garage. Police seized and rescued 78 pit bull-type dogs during their investigation, including 51 recovered during search warrants executed with arrest warrants. The details of the total sentencings are below: Donnametric Miller, of Donalsonville, Georgia – 100 months in prison; Fredricus White, of Panama City, Florida – 35 months in prison; Christopher Travis Beaumont, of Panama City, Florida – 30 months in prison; Marvin Pulley, of Donalsonville, Georgia – 30 months in prison; Cornelious Johnson, of Panama City, Florida – 27 months in prison; Terelle Ganzy, of Panama City, Florida – 24 months in prison; Willie Russell, of Blakely, Georgia – 24 months in prison; Brandon Baker, of Panama City, Florida – 20 months in prison; Terrance Davis, of Pansey, Alabama – 20 months in prison; Tamichael Elijah, of Donalsonville, Georgia – 18 months in prison; Timothy Freeman, of Bainbridge, Georgia – time served (15 months in prison); Herman Buggs Jr., of Donalsonville, Georgia – time served (two weeks in prison); Rodrecus Kimble, of Donalsonville, Georgia – one year home confinement; and Gary Hopkins, of Donalsonville, Georgia – six months home confinement. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
ABC News
08-05-2025
- ABC News
Man jailed for his role in Australian dog fighting ring boasted online he 'killed more dogs than parvovirus'
Warning: This story contains graphic content involving animal cruelty. A man jailed for his role in a dog fighting ring remains a member of multiple online groups that discuss the blood sport, even boasting that he has killed "more dogs than parvovirus". Darling Downs man Glenn Wilson was found guilty in 2019 of supplying a pit bull terrier called "Pretty Girl" for fighting and failing to provide appropriate living conditions and treatment to several other dogs. He was sentenced to six months in prison, banned from owning pit bulls for life, and forced to pay $60,000 to the RSPCA. The ABC can reveal that, almost five years later, Wilson remains a member of online groups where people frequently post about dog fighting and the sale of pedigree American pit bull terriers. He is also a member of several RSPCA victim support and accountability groups. It comes after an ABC investigation revealed Australia's links with the global trade of dogs with fighting bloodlines. In some groups, Wilson proudly posts images of himself posing with pedigree dogs and appears to discuss their fighting credentials. In response to one comment, he explains the dog he has posted is a "CH" or champion — slang that experts say refers to a dog that has won at least three contracted matches. He talks about preparing dogs for fights during the "keep" conditioning period and how he would get them down to fighting weight. "After a true keep, dex (a drug given to dogs), empty outs, shaving hair off, starving my mutts I can't lose a few grams, let alone a lb," he wrote. In another post, he captions a photo of a snarling dog with "show me winners!!!". "He reckons I've killed more dogs than parvovirus. FACT!" he tells another commenter. In response to a post asking members to pray pit bulls are protected from "dog fighters, abusers and neglectful owners", Wilson responds: "FFS what a load of fur mummy bull shit". In another post someone asks for the definition of animal cruelty and Wilson responds, "using a [sic] axe not a hammer". When contacted by the ABC, he denied any involvement in dog fighting but admitted to culling dogs that could not hunt by shooting them. He said his social media posts were part of his online persona and designed to "shock". "I know the lingo, I've got it down-pat. I've been invested in dogs, had bull terrier type dogs since I was a child," he said. In 2018, the RSPCA seized five dogs at a Yalangur property where Wilson was living, along with a treadmill with a leash attached and a "break stick" used to separate fighting dogs. "Pretty Girl" was found in a cage with significant scarring that was consistent with involvement in organised dog fighting, according to court documents. Two other dogs, "Chico" and "Jesus", were also found with heavy scarring in a separate enclosure of dirt and rocks with "a small amount of scattered straw". They were tethered by a heavy metal chain to an axle partly buried in the ground. The dogs, plus another canine called "Beetle", were diagnosed with bacterial conjunctivitis after their seizure. Beetle was found in a raised donga without access to food, water or proper bedding. "Naughty", a fifth dog found in the back of a ute at the property, was lame in the right hind foot. The magistrate found Wilson showed a lack of remorse or insight into his offending, sentencing him to six months' imprisonment with three months' parole. Mr Wilson said he did not support dog fighting but "if it's done on a scientific or professional level, I'd be interested and probably intrigued by the outcome." Wilson said he has suffered both personally and professionally due to his conviction, and has been unable to find a job, has lost friendships and is in debt. He said losing his dogs was a big blow to his identity, conceding he was "obsessed". The ABC does not suggest that Wilson is involved in dog fighting now — only that he is a member of several online groups where users have posted about dog fighting. Dog fighting is outlawed in Australia, but the penalties vary in each state and territory. In Queensland, organising and participating in dog fighting carries a maximum penalty of one year's imprisonment or a $48,390 fine. But several of the state's most high-profile dog fighting cases have received only half the maximum penalty and served even less time behind bars. Queensland man, Jarrad Trenear, spent less than a month in jail after being sentenced to six months' imprisonment over dog fighting and animal cruelty charges. Twenty dogs were seized from his Mount Cotton property in 2018, along with "rape stands" — a term dog fighters use for breeding stands — heavy chains and dog fighting paraphernalia. Richmond man Bradd O'Keeffe was sentenced to six months behind bars in 2019 after pleading guilty to two counts of supplying a dog for dog fighting but was released on parole after two months. Joshua Baskerville, charged with possessing prohibited spurs and one count of supplying a dog for a prohibited event, was sentenced to three years' probation. Dr Virginia Maxwell — a professor of forensic science at the University of New Haven, with expertise in animal crimes investigations — said it was not uncommon for those involved in dog fighting to get a "slap on the wrist". Contact our investigative reporter on to share news tips. "When you're only getting six months, that's not a deterrent for dog fighting, in my opinion," she said. "[In the US] we seem to have so many more laws beyond dog fighting, it's possessing paraphernalia, training dogs to fight other dogs, possessing dogs with the intent to fight, using dogs as bait, organising, advertising or promoting a dog fight, the list goes on. "They've made everything associated with dog fighting illegal." The RSPCA has been at the frontline of multiple dog-fighting busts, with many cases tied to other forms of organised crime. While the blood sport has been pushed underground, its Queensland office says there has been no decline in fights taking place. In recent years, the RSPCA has been involved in multiple dog fighting-related seizures, with many cases tied to broader criminal networks. "The RSPCA remains committed to advocating for stronger legislation and tougher penalties for those involved in dog fighting," a spokesperson said. A Queensland Police Service spokesperson said they were "not aware of any" recent cases of dog fighting and referred the ABC to the RSPCA.
