If you’re on Facebook, read the newspapers, or basically exist in life, you’ve no doubt been inundated with claims of dog fighting rings operating in every suburb, of every state. They appear to be operating not just all over Australia, but all over the world, and all dog fighting rings are using the same tactics at the exact same time.

It would be outrageous if it wasn’t so ridiculous.

Let me just get this out of the way, dog fighting does exist. It is just as cruel and disgusting as you imagine. Bait dogs are {sometimes} used and yes, that’s just as soul-crushing as you think too. These are both truths and they have been for some time now. What isn’t a truth, however, is that every dog that goes missing or is stolen is now a “bait dog.”

You’re probably scoffing at the fact that even needs to be said. I would too. But check out Google and you will find that the entire world believes there is a dog fighting ring under their bed and that every dog that goes missing has been taken by them.

I’m not even going to link you to Facebook sources because it would never end. The world has gone crazy with dog fighting and bait dogs. This isn’t helped by a few animal welfare organizations and professionals within the animal industry promoting this lie. If you didn’t know better, you’d be left thinking everyone has a dog that was used as bait in a dog fighting ring and you’re the only one without this latest fashion accessory.

What we’re seeing now is what most knew all along, reports that they are hoaxes, and nothing more than social media hysteria.

So does that mean that everyone who is perpetuating these claims is a bad person? No, of course not. For many, they just believe it, especially when animal welfare advocates are spreading it around. We trust those people to tell us the facts.

Unfortunately, not a lot of people look to the facts before sharing something on Facebook and even less will actually research something before repeating it. And, we can’t forget, even people within those organizations and industries are people too, and they can easily be sucked into the hysteria.

You’re probably asking how people even make that leap? It’s hard to say really but experience tells us that people, sometimes unknowingly, will stereotype. They’ll see a dog of a certain ‘type,’ that is in a shelter and has physical injuries. Those injuries may have come from dogs or people. That person will make the conclusion that the dog has been used as a bait dog or used to fight, without knowing the history of the dog or having any evidence whatsoever. If we’re honest, we might even speculate that it makes people feel like a hero, having rescued and rehabilitated a former “bait dog.” (When in truth, anyone who rescues or adopts is a hero regardless).

But injuries and behaviour are not proof of any of these claims. After all, if a dog is in a shelter and has an unknown history, it’s fair to say that it may have been wandering, and it may have been in a fight with another dog on the streets. It may have even been abused by people. There are countless reasons and being a victim of dog fighting is just one of many, and it’s a rare incident – check with the organisations that have experience with dog fighting and they’ll tell you that it is extremely rare to find a dog, that has been used as bait, alive. The simple truth is, it is highly unlikely you will find them in shelters.

Well, firstly we need to know the difference between a dog that is missing and a dog that has been stolen. Then we need to look at the many reasons a dog might be stolen. These could be to sell, to breed from, to have as a pet, etc. All these scenarios are more plausible than a dog being stolen for dog fighting or to be used as bait. We also need to confirm that these reports of missing dogs are actually true and not just “a friend of a friend’s dog has been stolen!”So what about all those dogs that are being stolen across the country?

The RSPCA and community police have spoken out, many times, dismissing these rumours, explaining that dogs either haven’t been reported stolen or that there have been very few reports.

But so what, right? It’s raising awareness about dog fighting. What could be wrong with that?

Could you imagine, having lost your dog, looking through countless comments about how it’s probably been taken by dog fighters and is now a bait dog? Imagine that for a second – it’s pure nightmare fuel. Imagine that you’re a casual reader that lives in the area the dog is missing – you may just come to the conclusion that there’s no need to get out and look for that dog because if it’s been taken by dog fighters, you’re highly unlikely to find it wandering the streets.

Remember what I said about stereotyping, intentionally or otherwise? What do you think these dog fighting claims do? They just further the public’s misconception that large, powerful dogs are born to be fighting dogs.

We should also take into account that there are some idiots who will attempt to have their dog fight. These people aren’t in any kind of professional dog fighting rings – they’re animal abusers. By going on and on about the idea of “bait dogs,” we are unknowingly providing them with the idea that this is the way their dogs should fight. Like a self-fulfilling prophecy, the rumours become a reality.

So, like I said in the beginning, dog fighting does exist. But it is such a minimal issue in this country that it is safe to say that the vast majority of missing dogs are not being used as “bait dogs,” nor has every other injured and scared dog in the local pound. However, every dog owner needs to be vigilant, because dogs can escape and are stolen. Keep them safe.

Before we jump to conclusions, before we attach baggage to a dog that doesn’t deserve it, let’s first look at the evidence we do have and treat each dog as an individual. And, please, let’s stop perpetuating myths.

http://www.fetchingdogs.com.au/the-bait-dog-phenomenon/

It is an ironic twist that around the same time dogfighting became outlawed, the Pit Bull began showing up in the media in a negative light. In 1976, the Supreme Court passed the Animal Welfare Act of 1976. This groundbreaking act made dogfighting officially illegal in all 50 states, as well as set strict penalties for anyone found caught fighting dogs. Unfortunately, it is often said that when something is made criminal, that it will attract criminals. Massive misinformation began being spread about Pit Bulls during this time as well. In their efforts to get the Welfare Law passed, some of the major "animal advocacy" groups completely vilified the Pit Bull and spawned the myths that still haunt the breed today. These groups claimed that Pit Bulls had to be trained to fight using treadmills, flirt and spring poles, and other devices which were (and are still today) actually used by responsible owners to exercise their dogs. They made up the "bait dog" myth, which unfortunately is no longer a myth. They "helped" to blur the lines between Dog Aggression and Human Aggression by claiming that dogfighters made the fighting dogs "meaner" by abusing them and feeding them gunpowder or tabasco sauce.

Soon, Pit Bulls found themselves in the hands of people we'd like to keep them out of. The criminal set began trying to squeeze these dogs into a mold they were never designed to fit. The breed who was once bred to treat every stranger like a long-lost friend was now being used as guard and protection dogs. And they were being fought in underground fighting rings, by people who were basically given a "How to Fight Your Pit Bull" manual by the animal rights groups.

http://www.dontbullymybreed.org/index.php/information/resources/pit-bulls-a-history

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