By STEVE DALE
Tribune Media Services
Dog fighting isn’t about race, income or culture. “That’s a stereotype being perpetuated in the past couple of weeks by the media,” says Chicago community activist Melia Carter.
A new coalition of Chicago community leaders, city officials, elected officials, representatives from the faith-based community, and police has teamed up with local humane and animal-related groups to create an initiative which Chicago Alderman Walter Burnett says “gets to the heart of the problem of dog fighting.” Their campaign is called Safe Humane Chicago.
“It’s about getting to kids before the gang bangers and other criminals do,” says Cynthia Bathurst, executive director of the Dog Advisory Work Group and a co-founder (with Carter) of Safe Humane Chicago.
Marie Belew Wheatley, president and CEO of the Denver-based American Humane Association, says Safe Humane Chicago could be a national model. “When we teach empathy, the kids aren’t learning violence. This initiative is about dogs, it’s about kids — but moreover, it’s about community,” she notes.
Whoopi Goldberg simply had it wrong. When the actress started as a co-host on ABC-TV’s “The View,” she said (Atlanta Falcons quarterback) Michael Vick was raised in the South, and therefore dog fighting was a part of his cultural heritage.
“C’mon, Vick is a multimillionaire, and gambled who knows how much money.” says Burnett, who represents the diverse 27th ward in the Windy City, which includes citizens of various economic levels. “Dog fighting isn’t only a crime of poor people.”
Officer James Conlan (cq), of the Chicago Police Department Animal Crimes Unit, confirms that dog fighters even have their own Web sites and forums on the Internet. “Certainly, there’s gangbanger involvement, but it’s much more,” he says.
“Bottom line, these are always violent offenders; these are criminals often also wanted on gambling, weapons and/or drug charges,” adds Thomas Barker, another Chicago police officer with the city’s Animal Crimes Unit.
The only culture common among dog fighters, according to Carter, is a culture of violence. So, a goal of Safe Humane Chicago is to intervene, and prevent children — in particular — from ever getting involved in dog fighting. The goal is to teach an alternative to violence — that violence, for example, isn’t required to train a dog.
The goal is to mobilize the entire community against the mentality that dog fighting could somehow be acceptable. The Rev. Dr. Walter Johnson, an influential religious and community leader in Chicago, is a minister at the Wayman African Methodist Episcopal Church, executive director of the Alliance for Community Peace and a member of the Safe Humane Chicago advisory committee. “Of course, I believe we can come together as a community and make a difference. It’s a matter of education,” says Johnson. He concedes that until recently, even he never fully understood the link between animal cruelty and violence toward people.
Numerous studies illustrates that this link is real. A study by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Boston’s Northeastern University showed that those who attend dog fights and witness other forms of animal cruelty are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against people.
“In Chicago, data shows that 70 percent of dog fighting and animal abuse offenders have also been arrested for violent felonies against people,” says Bathurst. “And 86 percent of those who have committed crimes against animals have been arrested for multiple violence offenses.”
Perhaps more graphic than statistics are real-life examples: Burnett says some kids in his ward recently killed geese and ducks for no obvious reason but the “thrill.” He says, “These were little itty-bitty children, and seeing blood and killing God’s creatures didn’t bother them. Obviously, they’ve previously been exposed to violence. Today, it may be geese, tomorrow it’s a dog, and the next day, a friend they could beat upside the head.”
The idea behind Safe Humane Chicago is to expose kids to humane treatment of canines by using calm, trained examples of what most of dogs in America really are. Trained handlers bring dogs to community centers, churches, schools and other venues to demonstrate how to approach a strange dog and how dogs learn through motivation rather than intimidation. Carter says kids in the program have previously never had a positive experience with dogs, “So they’re terrified when we first bring in these well-trained dogs. But by the end of the program, everyone wants to pet the dogs.”
“Educating the public and raising the awareness of cruelty toward animals can ultimately prevent many of the crimes that are a direct result of this violence,” says Interim Chicago Police Superintendent Dana Starks. “We encourage law enforcement agencies across the country to examine this newly formed partnership so their communities are aware of the potential risks and dangers.”
Even police officers who work the streets rarely witness actual dog fights in progress. “Of course, these are covert activities which don’t take place in the open,” says Officer James Conlan of the Chicago Police Department Animal Crimes Unit. Witnesses should not be afraid “to tip off police if there’s an actual fight in progress,” or if they suspect dog fighting is going on, even if they don’t see an actual fight.
Often, there are only subtle clues that dog fighters operating nearby. For starters, there are often lots of dogs — most often pit bull-type dogs. Conlan says, “There may be a treadmill or a junky old carousel for the dogs to chase in circles to build stamina. And (also) to build viciousness, as small animals or small dogs are used as bait (attached to the carousel for the dogs to ‘catch.’). There may be old tires hanging in the yard or a spring poll. There are people who manufacture these (poles) underground. This is literally a spring with a pole and bite piece on it that dogs hang from to build jaw strength.”
Another clue is dead cats or rabbits in the trash — the animals used as bait.
In most places, reports of suspected dog fights can be made anonymously.
(PLEASE NOTE: In the interests of full disclosure, author Dale serves on the Safe Humane Chicago advisory committee.)
Steve Dale welcomes questions/comments from readers. Although he can't answer all of them individually, he will answer those of general interest in his column. Write to Steve at Tribune Media Services, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, NY 14207 or send an e-mail. Include your name, city and state. Listen to Steve Dale's WEEKLY RADIO SHOW, "Pet Central," on Saturdays at http://www.wgnradio.com; or Steve's syndicated radio shows: "Steve Dale's Pet World" and "The Pet Minute." Learn more at http://www.petworldradio.net. Steve's personal website is www.stevedalepetworld.com.
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