A BBC panorama team has been tracking and secretly filming a ring of pit bull breeders that smuggle the dogs into the country and then fight them illegally for the past year, and the show is being shown on BBC1 tonight a 9pm. It will be very interesting to watch, even if it isn't going to be pretty!

I am going to try and watch it if I can stomach it. It has been all over the BBC news today especially radio.

Thanks for letting us know. From what I heard on the news, there are large gangs of dog breeders and fighters that are willing to risk smuggling dogs such as pit bulls into the country and keep them chained up before fighting them. It is horrible that it still goes on, especially if the scale which is implied on the news isn't an exaggeration.

We will not be watching as we could not stomach it. We have seen some bits on 'Animal Cops Phoenix' & that was enough!! I had my eyes covered while we were watching the news today.

This post was last modified: 30-08-2007 05:04 PM by tibbar.

Here in the US the news has been full of Michael Vick, an American football player, who recently plead guilty to various charges of involvement with an illegal dog fighting scheme.

He apparently refused to admit that he participated in killing dogs which 'underperformed'.

I do not think I could stand to watch Panorama even if I were able to view it here in the US.

Kingfisher

In an area near where i live a pitbull was found dead in a field, it is believed it was chained to a car and dragged around. It is horrible what some people will do.

I saw the adverts but didn't watch the programme as things like this just make my blood boil . This has been going on for years but no-one seems able to do anything about it. Do we really believe that the authorities don't know who these people are? These people should be locked in a room with the dogs they have trained to kill

As for killing 'underperforming' animals, this doesn't just apply to fighting dogs. There is the current scandal about the 'disposal' of greyhounds that underperform, and the hunting lobby refuses to answer the question of what happens to the hounds they claim to love when they are too old to hunt. And if anyone wants to see the mistreatment of animals, just spend a day with the RSPCA officers and witness the way that people treat their pets.

And we are supposed to be a nation of animal lovers!!!! We can have all the animal welfare laws in the world, but if no-one is prepared to enforce them, what's the point?

I wasn't around to watch it, and in a way I'm quite glad I didn't, although I feel that the more people who know about what goes on the more pressure is put on the authorities to do something about it.

"Disposing" of greyhounds that can no longer race is awful. The RSPCA do a good job with the resources they have, but they rely on people reporting any crimes against animals and amongst dogfighting/greyhound/hunting rings I doubt that any of the members is going to report another.

I once rescued a greyhound. I found it out walking with my dog & as a rule I would not take on stray dogs, but she was a pathetic sight. She looked like a grey old dog, she had had broken jaw at some time , no teeth down one side of her mouth & distemper twice as it ridges the teeth & she was all skin & bone. So thin that she could not lie down in what I call the sphinx position as the skin pulled too tight over her bones, & she could not walk uo steps with out stumbling. I took her to the vet & he treated her for free as she was so bad & after informing the police station I took her home. She had apparently been living in a graveyard for 10 days so was clearly starving & when I went to wash her weeping eyes she even tried to eat the sponge.
I used to feed her 7 tiny meals a day & had her for a few weeks. In that time she never growled or tried to protect her food from my dog or my cat who stood underneath her tummy at meal times. I found out from the pol that she was perhaps from the local gypsy site but no-one ever claimed her& she was mine at the end of 30 days & I was determined if she was from there, there was no way she was going back!!!!!!
I put her through the Greyhound Trust & a good home was found for her & instead of being an old girl she was estimated to be about 10 months old & she was a lovely lemon & white in colour.
Greyhounds make lovely pet dogs whether ex racers or not , they are so gentle & temperments are usually good. If they end up in a non-greyhound rescue centre they are often over-looked but have sop much to offer.
I only let her go because I was frightened that she would be forced to go back if I was seen out with her but she was a great dog. There is no need to put them down if they educated ordinary dog owners that they do make great pets,their needs are basic good food, a walk, being part of a family & a fireside.

This post was last modified: 01-09-2007 07:55 PM by tibbar.

^^^
The Greyhound Rescue group are very active here in my area. I've seen them at PetSmart (not certain if those exist in the UK) with their dogs. I've also seen a fair number of them on the Big Soos Creek Trail. They are beautiful dogs, very athletic looking. The owners tell me that the dogs are quiet and well mannered.

Kingfisher

That's really great tibbar, you did brilliantly taking him in and saving him. No doubt he wouldn't have survived much longer if you hadn't.

I've never had a greyhound for a pet but I've also been told that they do make good companions.

Wonderful story tibbar. The bit about her trying to eat the sponge is one of the saddest things I've heard. Hopefully, she has found a good home that can begin to make up for the horrible life she must have lead until you found her. For a dog, I would guess that being abandoned by their 'pack' must be as traumatic as the physical cruelty they are subjected to. You did a wonderful thing in giving her back her life.

I'm sure the greyhound trust would have found a brilliant home for her. As she was so young she would have had a great life after the traumatic start.