Dear Next President,

In the world of dog fighting an estimated 16,000 dogs die every year from dog fighting. Dog fighting is an issue because dogs are being harmed through this horrible type of animal cruelty and dogs deserve to have a loving home.

Dogs are being harmed because of dog fighting everyday. By an estimate done by the ASPCA “there are tens of thousands of dog fighters in the US forcing hundreds of thousands of dogs to train, fight, and suffer every year.” These dogs are being used in various ways. One position a dog can have is being a bait dog and helping train the fighter dogs to kill their opponents. The other type is the actual fighting dog these are usually big dogs, such as American Pit bull Terriers. This however does not mean that these dogs are bad it is just their owners. The dogs are chained up to a pole and have no contact with other dogs other than training and fighting. All these dogs know is how to fight. Another way a dog can die is if the dog loses the match and the trainer no longer has any more use for the dog so they kill the dog. One other way dogs are killed is in the breeding process. Many people make money off of breeding fighting dogs, but if the dog is is not fit or if no one wants to buy the dog the breeder leaves them to die on the street.

Dogs that are found in these situations are not getting adopted because adopters believe that they will be aggressive. According to the Dog Breed Information Center “There are 300-500 dogs euthanized (killed) everyday within a 50-mile radius.” One of the main reasons for this is because people do not want to adopt a dog that was meant for fighting. These dogs don’t deserve to be killed because they didn’t do anything, but because of the dog fighting people and breeders the dogs end up on the streets. When the dogs end up on the streets they get picked up by shelters. However, it won’t have any effect on the dog if the dog is euthanized in the animal shelter. These dogs need to be given a chance, but people looking for a dog automatically think that because the dog's breed is a pit bull that the dog is aggressive because they are the main dog used in dog fighting.

The adopters might argue that the pit bulls have an aggressive past because they were in dog fighting. The adopters might say that pit bulls are the most aggressive breed but a study done by journal Applied Animal Behavior Science in 2008 says otherwise. “Some breeds scored higher than average for aggression directed toward both humans and dogs (e.g., Chihuahuas and Dachshunds).” The pit bull only scored in the top three for aggression towards other dogs. The trainers of these dogs might argue that they need the money and that they do not have any other choice. However there are many other legal choices for these people.

Overall, dog fighting is a very big issue that needs to be addressed immediately. Dogs are dying and being harmed every day to this horrific act of animal cruelty. These dogs do not have a voice to tell what they have been through. So give them a voice and stand up for this issue.

Sincerely,

Annalise J.

"A Closer Look at Dog Fighting." ASPCA. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2016.

Breeds. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2016.

"Breeders or. Rescues." , Worldwide Pet Overpopulation Epidemic, Who's at Fault? N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2016.

“The Criminal, Underground World of Dog Fighting.”ASPCA. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2016.

"The 3 Most Aggressive Dog Breeds May Surprise You." The 3 Most Aggressive Dog Breeds. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2016.