Ten Found Guilty Over Britain's Biggest Dog-Fight
Date: 21-Sep-07
Country: UK
Author: Peter Griffiths
It brings to 26 the number convicted in connection with the
"sadistic" fight, in which two pit bull terriers were forced to
attack each other in a carpeted pit.
The dogs suffered horrific injuries during the fight, which
lasted at least 1-3/4 hours, the Royal Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) said.
One of them, called Bullet, died soon after the fight. The
second dog, Elvis, was put down two days later.
Police made so many arrests that they had to flag down a
double-decker bus to take the suspects to the police station.
"This was one of the longest, most brutal and most highly
attended dog fights we have ever come across," said RSPCA Chief
Inspector Ian Briggs. "If we are entering a new era of
dogfighting, then we need to stamp it out fast."
The convictions came as attention focussed on the secretive
world of dog-fighting in the United States, where football star
Michael Vick last month pleaded guilty and apologised for his
role in a dogfighting case that will land him in jail.
In the British case, the dogs were heard to squeal in pain
during video evidence shown at Birmingham magistrates' court.
Some people left court because they were so distressed.
Judge Kal Qureshi said: "The event itself is best described
as ... sadistic. It involved inflicting unimaginable pain
without any pity for the animals."
For the fight in Birmingham last year, a makeshift pit had
been built using kitchen cabinets, with carpet on the floor to
stop the dogs slipping.
Officers found buckets of bloody water, sticks to force the
dogs' jaws apart and first-aid kits to treat wounds.
Nineteen of those convicted have been fined between 500
pounds and 1,400 pounds (US$1,000 to $2,800) for attending a
dogfight. Seven others will be sentenced on other charges on
Oct. 18.
