Animal Fighting

Abstract

This chapter begins with a brief introduction to the subject of animal fighting generally before focusing specifically on dog fighting. In terms of the prevalence of dog fighting, while both frontline accounts and the collection of complaints and prosecutions provide a compelling case for the existence of a problem, legal and enforcement complexities in the UK and USA, such as the difficulties in detecting such crimes via covert means, significantly inhibits an accurate picture of the scale of dog fighting. The subculture of dogmen and the process of neutralisation are considered by way of theoretical explanation for the participation of offenders in dog fighting. The nature of these abhorrent crimes also presents obstacles for researching the motivations of dogmen who operate in utmost secrecy and would only accept and trust other active dogmen into the fold. Dog fighting culture is recognised as status driven and based on values of masculinity and honour—suggesting a distinct subculture of violence exists which encourages members to embrace values permitting the use of violence and which provides justification for their harmful and violent behaviour. The final section of the chapter examines the various responses to this offence, namely education, legislation and enforcement.

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