Dog Fights Prompt 5,000 Calls To Rspca In Past Decade

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38653726

This sort of thing makes me so angry ! How can anybody stand by and watch this awful animal cruelty beats me.

"The maximum sentence for offenders is six months in prison and/or an unlimited fine, but campaigners want it to be raised to up to three years"

Why not put a minimum sentence for these offences ? If there has 5000 reports, then only 137 convictions seems to tell me that there is a problem somewhere.

[hc4361]

I agree about the longer sentences.

A lot of the calls will be after the event - when the injured/dead dog is found abandoned. Very difficult to trace the owner, even if it is microchipped.

[andy-hughes]

It's not possible to put yourself in the mind set of someone who views dogs in this way - barbaric entertainment and callous disregard.

So as with any other question that begins 'How can ... ?', there is never an answer because it involves trying to understand a mentality so alien as to be beyond comprehension.

It's better not to embark on such a fruitless and emotionally draining exercise, and use that effort to try and assist society in moving forward in practical solutions - and it does appear that addressing inadequate penalties would be a good place to start.

[vortex]

Unacceptably high figures.I bet Paul O'Grady is choking on his breakfast.That's a thought,maybe someone like him could campaign for stiffer penalties for cruel owners Mikey4444?

[mikey4444]

Vortex....good idea !

I didn't watch the video sequence in the link, as this kind of thing genuinely upsets me.....if I had watched it, the effects would have been with me for the rest of the day.

Sorry if I didn't give a warning first.

[vortex]

Sadly,to many,"money is a man's best friend".

[Islay]

Sadly at the rescue we see quite a few of these dogs either after they are dumped dead or dumped injured and someone else is left to pick up the pieces.

Gumtree needs to ban the advertisement of dogs free to good homes. We have noticed that dogs that are given to 'good homes' end up in fighting pits! But gumtree do not want to know!

[mikey4444]

The RSPCA and the Police need to up their game, and if tougher sentencing will help, well, lets them have it.

A larger budget perhaps as well ?

[Islay]

TBH the RSPCA are as useful as a goldfish on a cycle!

[mikey4444]

Islay....then who is bringing in these 130 prosecutions then ?

The RSPCA may not be perfect but they are the only game in town at the moment.....more power to their elbow as far as I am concerned.

[douglas9401]

Whilst dog fighting is abhorrent, more exposure for Paul O'Grady is not the answer.

[Islay]

The police should be bring the prosecutions, they enforce the law!

At the end of the day the RSPCA is a charity not a law enforcer!

[NoMercy]

It's about time the government got tough on animal cruelty. If I ever saw an animal being abused, I would not be responsible for my actions!

[Islay]

But an analysis of court reports by criminologists at Middlesex University last year suggested there had been fewer than 40 successful convictions linked to dog fighting under the current laws between 2008 and 2014.

Wonder where RSPCA get their figures

[Baldric]

You really think that Paul O'Grady heading a campaign would be a good idea?
The man makes my skin crawl, and has a similar affect on a lot of people I know.

[mikey4444]

NoMercy....I can't help to agree with you....animal cruelty makes me sick.

[vortex]

Douglas and Baldric,I did state someone like him ;-)

[ummmm]

I agree with Islay. RSPCA are a waste of space.

[hereIam]

Baldric, I love Mr O'Grady and I personally don't know anyone who dislikes him. mikey, I also think the RSPCA do their best in difficult circumstances and prosecute the vile dog fighters whenever they can. To my mind these people are MONSTERS ....

[ToraToraTora]

we need to start banging these lowlives up pronto. RSPCA have lost their original purpose and are basically now a corporate charity, whose primary function has become anything but. If you want to know how much the RSPCA care about animal cruelty phone one of their "hot lines" about a suffering animal. Useless shower. Anyway, I digress, plod has priorities, yes, so we need to make every conviction count and they must do serious time. Personally I'd like to throw them in a pit with their own dogs, deplorable pond life

[ToraToraTora]

crikey ummmm and I agree on something!