Dog Fights, Criminal Abuse

Among the many forms of mistreatment that people exert on animals, dog fighting can be considered one of the most perverse. It is a combo in which clandestine bets, marginality and the staging of a show that attracts certain people are mixed and that, although it is considered a crime in much of the world, does not show signs of being backward.

They denounce a clandestine dog fighting tournament in Aguascalientes, Mexico

The issue of dogfighting made the news again these days, on the occasion of the celebration of the San Marcos National Fair, in Mexico, a country that is unfortunately among the most mentioned when it comes to animal abuse. Fortunately, in recent times an attempt has been made to reverse this situation with various initiatives.

But everything seems to indicate that, since 2014, in parallel to the realization of this famous event -which takes place in Aguascalientes- an international clandestine dogfighting tournament has been organized.

It is that in this city, despite being classified as a crime abuse, dog fights are common, both at the level of bets and by the mere fact of measuring forces between opponents or watching two dogs destroy each other. This is what various people who defend animal rights denounce it.

These meetings usually take place in vacant lots in the most conflictive areas of Aguascalientes and attract a large number of attendees, including minors. The calls are made simply by “spreading the word” among the regular attendees.

Dog fighting, in addition to being a form of heinous mistreatment of animals, is also big business for gangster organizations. International tournaments are even held, such as the one reported in Aguascalientes, Mexico, and which takes place in parallel to the National Fair of San Marcos.

Dog fights, another big business for mafia organizations

But fights are also organized on a level, you could define it, professional. Large sums of money are wagered there and there is behind a mafia organization that carries out other illegal businesses related to, for example:

• Prostitution
• Drug dealing
• Child pornography

For all this, it is not surprising that Aguascalientes is also the ideal place to develop an international meeting of these characteristics. Furthermore, according to specialists, some legal loopholes in Mexican legislation leave the way open for these illegal acts to take place.

Petition to end dogfighting

Information about this international dogfighting convention began to get echoed through a petition on Change.org. There, state and local authorities are asked to:

• Investigate the fact
• Cancel its performance
• Punish organizers and participants

The call for this clandestine convention seems to be done through encrypted messages and the participants from different parts of the world -especially from the USA, Spain and Brazil-, usually use various internet sites to communicate with each other.

And although the authorities indicated that they have not been able to find organizers to avoid its realization, it is a fact that has been done in parallel with the San Marcos Fair. This is how the distraction generated by this event is taken advantage of, which is attended by a large number of people, including locals and tourists, and which has, among its main attractions, bullfights.

Criminal mistreatment

The ailments to which dogs are subjected before, during and after a fight are atrocious and it is irrelevant to go into detail in this note.

Suffice it to say that those who mistreat these innocent creatures in this way are considered criminals in much of the world but, despite this, they continue to carry out their business – on a small or large scale – organizing this type of clandestine encounters.

It will also be the subject of another note to analyze what goes through the minds of these beings who find gratification in witnessing or participating with their animals in these types of activities, more or less legal or consensual, whether they are dogs, roosters or bulls.