Opinion: Animal cruelty ruffles feathers

I have written about our family dogs as they joined us as puppies, commented on them as unique family members, and sadly reported on their passing.

At other times, this column has railed against people who abuse dogs.

It should surprise no one that I have followed with disgust the case against confessed dogfight promoter and Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. Enough already has been said and written about this case. My cup of scorn runs over for anyone who trains dogs to try to kill each other and, in turn, kills the dogs that didn’t perform up to creepy, bloody standards.

The Vick example

The only positive note about Vick’s case is that his celebrity has put all the ugliness of dogfighting on national display. Even though Vick’s dogfighting operation was probably a small one, the media frenzy surrounding it has helped to expose what appears to be a much larger dogfighting operation reportedly run by rap singer DMX. Arizona officials have uncovered the rapper’s ring.

And as a sidebar to Vick’s story, an article appeared in USA Today about Baltimore being a center of illegal dogfighting. New York City, Detroit, Chicago and Los Angeles also were named as centers.

Proving that bad attracts bad, dogfighting is reported to be linked to other criminal activities such as drug dealing, gun running and gambling. Baltimore Humane Society official Frank Branchini minces no words: “The people involved in dogfighting are not good people.”

In big cities and small towns, one might find people of all ethnic backgrounds who train dogs to perform for the pleasure of others who pay to watch and bet on these abused animals fighting to the death. It seems to be common practice of dogfighting operations to kill dogs unable to fight again.

Other foul play

On a scale of one to 10, with one being at the absolute bottom of the human chain, where would you rate people who participate in any phase of dogfighting?

There is little doubt where I would rank these folks. I love dogs. The joy of dog ownership comes from the relationship developed as the dog’s personality emerges. Dogs live to please their people. Teach them gentle ways and a loving, gentle pet will be dedicated to their families for life. Teach vicious ways, and vicious dogs will emerge.

As gross as dogfighting may be, there are other abuses that rate pretty far down on the human scale. Physical abuse can be devastating to a dog. If you have been around dogs that have been abused, you can see it in their behavior. They don’t trust people and are skittish around them.

Who can blame them?

To me, a major abuse is refusing to have pets spayed or neutered, leaving them to produce litters of unwanted dogs or cats to meet any numbers of cruel fates.

Before rating dogfighting participants at the bottom of the human heap, save some low marks for people who dump unwanted dogs or cats alongside the road or in a field. Unless these helpless critters are lucky enough to be taken in by humanitarian animal lovers, they face a fearful future.

Michael Vick has publicly apologized for his acts. I hope he was sincere. In slight defense of Vick, I haven’t heard an apology from anyone who has dumped a litter of puppies in a ditch at the side of a highway.

Joe McAdoo is former chairman of the communication department at Drury University.