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Investigating Animal Cruelty 33 selective breeding. They often purchase dogs of average ability through classified ads and, with little or no conditioning, enter them in a match. While some of these individuals see themselves as serious or on the verge of becoming serious, their objective is to regain the purchase price as quickly as possible through bets and winning matches. They often use the same fight location repeatedly. Street fighters. Impromptu matches are frequently initiated in public parks, playgrounds and back alleys as a means of increasing image within a neighborhood. This is a particularly difficult group to apprehend since the amateur participants can readily disperse if law enforcement officers appear on the scene. NOTE: Increasingly, individuals classed under the organized and hobbyist categories use sites on the internet to communicate with other dogfighters for the purpose of buying and selling fighting dogs and setting up matches. Experienced investigators have been able to infiltrate sites and build strong cases leading to successful prosecutions. The American pit bull terrier The term “pit bull” is commonly used to describe several similar breeds of dogs, including those registered as American pit bull terriers with the United Kennel Club (UKC), the American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA), the All American Dog Registry (AADR) and several other less popular APBT breed registries. The term is sometimes applied to the American Staffordshire terrier, recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC), as well as unregistered dogs and mixtures of these and other breeds, including the Staffordshire bull terrier (AKC), bull terrier (AKC) and bulldog (AKC). Dogfighters often refer to the breed simply as bulldog. In the United States, fighting dogs are almost exclusively American pit bull terriers registered under the ADBA or the AADR. A number of other breeds have traditionally been used for fighting in Europe, South America and Asia, including the Neapolitan mastiff, the Akita and the tosa from Japan, the Argentinean dogo, France’s dogue de Bordeaux, the Chinese Shar-pei and others. There are indications that an increasing number of dogfighters in the United States are exporting American pit bull terriers to Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, Europe, Australia and the Far East. Historically, the American Staffordshire terrier and the American pit bull terrier trace their ancestry to the bulldogs of the 19th century. These large (80–100 pounds) and somewhat slow animals were commonly used for bullbaiting in England and, to a lesser extent, in the United States. In this activity, a bull was tethered on a long lead, his horns covered with wax or pitch. The bull was then prodded with sticks by the spectators until enraged. Then, two or three dogs were released to attack the bull, usually seizing him by the nose, tail, ear or any other unprotected spot. Prizes were awarded to dogs who showed the greatest gameness or enthusiasm, endurance and tenacity in their attacks. After bullbaiting was outlawed in England in 1835, organized dogfights became popular, particularly in the Staffordshire coal mining areas. These fights were often conducted in hastily prepared pits dug near the mines. As dogfighting became more popular, there was greater selection for smaller and faster dogs. The English bulldog was mixed with a variety of other breeds, including the fox terrier. The result was given such names as the bulland terrier dog, pit dog and pit bull terrier. Crossing the bulldog with a small native terrier similar to today’s Manchester terrier produced a smaller version, the Staffordshire bull terrier. Specialized cases


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