Published: August 22, 2008 09:50 am            

Kudos for dog fighting charges

Kudos to the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office for taking dog fighting with the seriousness it deserves. Dog fighting is a despicable practice that should be soundly condemned.   

Dogs used in fights are beaten and starved, put on heavy chains, taunted into aggression, and left outside in all weather extremes to “toughen” them. Fights leave dogs torn to bloody shreds. The “losers” are shot, hung, drowned or simply left to die.

Not only are the dogs dangerous, their “trainers” often are as well: cruelty to animals is strongly linked to violence against people. In fact, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) uses reports of these crimes in analyzing the threat potential of suspected and known criminals. Further, animal fighting brings with it the ills associated with the narcotics and illicit firearms trades. This is a community concern without question.

Communities and courts that take cruelty to animals seriously help protect us all. For more information on the link between cruelty to animals and humans, visit www.HelpingAnimals.com

Martin Mersereau, Supervisor, Emergency Response Team in Cruelty Investigations Department,

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)

        

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