Fighting Dogs Begin To Heal
Just one month after their rescue from a dogfighting ring stretching across multiple states, several hundred dogs are beginning the long road to physical and emotional recovery. The dogs are in the care of the ASPCA and the Humane Society of the United States and are receiving much-needed nutrition and medical care.
A plan for their future
Beyond that, these dogs are being given a chance to emotionally heal and recover. Each dog is getting a personalized behavior modification plan in the hopes that they will be able to be adopted as pets, and some may be trained for rescue and rehabilitation work.
In this particular dogfighting case, puppies as young as 8 weeks old were found wearing long, heavy chains. Even these tiny, young puppies were subjected to neglect, cruelty, and abuse, and they will never know how lucky they are to have survived such a hellish start to life.
Perhaps even more heartbreaking are the adult dogs whose bodies have been mutilated by a lifetime of torture. Their physical scars may heal over time, but it will take a painstakingly slow process to heal their emotional scars. Most of these dogs have known nothing but a life of starvation at the end of a chain, interrupted only by forced breeding or being thrown into the fighting pit.
See photos and video of the recovering dogs here.
Although authorities are cracking down on dogfighting, there is still much work to be done to truly eliminate this disgusting practice. If you would like to report suspicious activity and possible dogfighting, contact one of the following organizations:
