Strange little hills of dirt. That’s what members of our Animal Rescue Team noticed on two properties in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, last week. Rain poured as they deployed the morning of April 28 with officers from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to help rescue dogs from a suspected dogfighting ring.
As they watched the dogs pulling eagerly against their chains to greet them, with full body wiggles and tail wags, they realized how these mini mountains must have been formed.
Kevin Wolf/AP Images for Humane World for Animals
The dogs, pacing frantically at the end of their heavy chains in circles for so long they carved out trenches in the ground. Some of them were over two feet deep. Some of the dogs perched on top of the mounds or huddled in overturned barrels, watching the team members.
In total, 34 dogs were saved that day. Our team transported the dogs to a safe, confidential location where responders and volunteers are providing much-needed care and treatment.
Kevin Wolf/AP Images for Humane World for Animals
The dogs have all been named after mountains: A dog they called Fuji had formed a mound about 24 inches tall. Denali’s mountain was about 27 inches tall. Everest’s mound was over 32 inches tall.
In-depth veterinary exams speak to the long suffering of these individuals. Here’s what the exams revealed about the dogs:
- Many have recent and old scars consistent with dogfighting.
- Several were suffering from recent puncture wounds, which veterinarians determined are consistent with dog bites.
- Some are missing chunks of their lips or ears.
- Almost half were found to have fractured or chipped teeth—veterinarians determined several will require urgent dental surgery to treat.
- About 25% of them are heartworm positive.
- Most were suffering from fly strike (a parasitic infection by maggots), and some had other infections and wounds, including abscessed teeth, inflamed and irritated paw pads, ear or ocular discharge and masses that will require biopsies.
- Most had inflamed, irritated skin or sores around their necks where their collars were secured.
Kevin Wolf/AP Images for Humane World for Animals
Cruelty to animals propagates violence and other crimes: We’ve seen that wherever dogfighting occurs, other bad things co-occur: weapon violations, gambling, illegal drugs and serious interpersonal violence.
The dogs used in organized dogfighting operations are specifically bred and conditioned for fighting. Such conditioning is only the beginning of a lifecycle of abuse, mistreatment and suffering—a life that often ends in the ring, with death by dehydration, infection, blood loss, exhaustion or shock just hours or days after a fight.
As our rescuers removed the tight, thick collars from around the dogs’ necks, they did their work with a quiet and familiar understanding that this was the beginning of a whole new kind of life for each one of them. They had suffered enough, and they deserved nothing less than the second chance that successful animal rescue work provides.
Kitty Block is president and CEO of Humane World for Animals. Follow Kitty Block.
