Hello and welcome to my Awareness/Causes page. What is written below is an extremity of animal abuse and the topic itself is indeed unpleasant. The information that I gathered came from websites and a magazine article, which I don't have anymore, so I won't be quoting anything from it; just recalling from memory what I read. As for what I do quote from websites, (if I decide to quote anything) I am including the links at the bottom of the page. The "Sad Reality" article had some information that I really wanted to use and while looking for a way to contact the author, I found a page stating that his/her e-mail would not be revealed, but he/she permits use of his/her words, only asking for a link back to his/her website and I'm obliging that request. That said, on with the enlightenment :). Being fairly naive about just how extreme animal abuse is and can be, and how popular apparently, I had no knowledge there was such a thing as Pit Bull Fighting until I read an article in People magazine. Although I still am highly uneducated about it, I feel it should be given publicity so that it can be stopped and the offenders can be prosecuted. Initially, the "I am only one person" excuse came to mind, but I was given a chance to do this and I'm not going to let it pass me by. I won't be posting any pictures, but I will include links to them. Please be warned that they aren't pretty and they don't belong to me, (which is why I'm not posting them on my site). Pit Bull Fighting is the same as "Cock Fighting", a "sport" that is pretty popular in which two roosters fight each other until death claims one. Like a race track, (whether it be dogs or horses) bets are placed on the "contenders" and the owners of those contenders do everything in their power to ensure a win. In place of two roosters, insert two Pit Bulls, and that's what Pit Bull Fighting is-both Cock Fighting and Pit Bull Fighting are illegal in all 50 states. More often than not, one of the dogs ends up dying and the surviving dog is not taken care of medically, but trained harder for the next "match" and if the dog cannot compete in another match, he/she is useless to the owner and will meet his/her death eventually. Two primary forms of Pit Bull Fighting are the "street fighters" and the "professional fighters". The "professional fighters", (dubbed "dog men" in the Sad Reality article) is more comparable to a boxing match, although grotesquely twisted. These pit bulls are trained mercilessly just like the dogs for street fights, but the match itself is more business-like and the betting runs into the thousands. The "street fighters" are less business-like and the owners basically roam the streets with dog in hand, looking for a fight. Less money is wagered by the growing crowd and at times there is no money involved; just another form of entertainment for the heartless people who partake in these matches. For more information, (much more detailed and educational) please visit the links/references below: Pet Pitbull - Sad Reality article PETA Media Center The Humane Society of the United States Animal Abuse Prevention Agency