People don’t say a word, silence is echoing in the air and the police prefer to ignore the problem. Thus, acting as if it did not exist. But, the truth is totally different. Dog fights in Colombia are part of the cruel underground world. In Bogotá they are part of the clandestine world where fortunes are played and the future is bet. And of course, the animal abuse is lived in its maximum expression, they are fighting in all 4.
And, let’s be clear about the type of people that attend such horrific events. People of all social backgrounds and education go. Age is not a factor either, but the vast majority are young (between 18 and 35 years of age). However, as different as these people may be, they all have a common characteristic: illegality and cruelty.
The Street Fights
Dog fights are fights between two (or more) dogs. They take place for the enjoyment of people who think of it as a game and get a thrill from watching this animals bleed. But, who thinks that watching animals fight for their life can be considered a sport or a game?
It is absurd because it is a show where dogs literally bite and tear each others meat while people bet.
When dealing with animal abuse we must take into acount that it means behaviours that cause unnecesary pain or stress to an animal like torture. It can also be negligence regarding the basic care until torture itself, mutilation or casing an animal to die.
There are organized crime gangs in almost four different localities in Bogotá.
This is a primal point. I dare to say that animal abuse is in part something that could be seen as a gateway to social violence and a result of it.
Peoples reactions
But, I consider it of primal importance to clarify that not every person who is exposed to violence is an animal abuser.
Continuing with the animal fight subject, we decided to talk to several people in order to see their reactions.
Laura Viera A: What do you think about Dog Fights?
Batman Camargo, Colombian activist: In all honestly, its an extremely cruel thing in which animals are tortured with out a reason. Dog fights shouldn’t only be punished because of animal abuse but also because it’s dealing with illegal bets. This is a risk for society.
Laura Viera A: Qué opinas sobre las peleas de perros?
Batman Camargo, activista Colombiano: La verdad es que esta es una entidad supremamente cruel en la que se torturan animales sin razón alguna. Las peleas de perros no solo deben tener el agravante del maltrato animal sino que ademas se realizan apuetas ilegales. Esto representa un riesgo para la sociedad.
Laura Viera A: What type of a dog do you have?
Diana M: An American Terrier Pitbull.
Laura Viera A: Since when?
Diana M: About a decade
Laura Viera A: Do you think that particular race of digs is dangerous?
Diana M: I speak from my experience. I really don’t think they are dangerous. I think that the way peopel take care of the dog, how they treat, take care and educate them has a lot to do with it.
Laura Viera A: What are your thought on the new Police statutes?
Diana M: I think there is a long road ahead. It is important that dog owners take some precautions and some responsabilities. I mean its our responsability as dog owners.
Laura Viera A: What do you think about dog fights
Diana M: I think its terrible. Sadly there are people that use dogs in oder to gambel and to make money with their pain. People who use animals in such a manner to make a buck or two is horrible. What they do to those animals is just criminal. They are misstreated since they are puppies. They are severely mishandeled, they throw boiling oil or water at them. It is nozt fair! And, when they can’t fight anymore you find them abandonde. it is such a clandestine situation.
In absolute secrecy
The dog fighting world is kept in absolute secrecy. Snitches are never welcomed.
People go there to bet, to win or loose it all and money is there way in. Bets are made in very different amounts. From 50 thousand pesos to 10 million pesos.
Laura Viera A: What do you think about dog fights?
Mariana Suarez, owner of rescued Bulldog: It is discutsting to see what people are capable of doing to an animal. Dogs suffer and they do so only because there are psycopaths in the world. No living being should suffer like that!
Another factor to take into consideration is that the animal abuse this dogs live is not only the fight itself. The abuse starts when they are born and chosen. It’s about two years of constant torture. Like for example, not feeding them for days and at the very last minute giving them a puppy to kill and eat. With that they are taught that they can kill to survive.
Laura Viera A: What do you think about dog fights?
Lucy Baquero: I think its absurd that this problem continues happening. I know that people have the right to express themaselves and to earn meony as they want but this doesnt mean they have the right to hurt a living being. They are misstreated since they are pupies and trained to kill. They are tortured!
Everything that is known about what happens in this places is spoken in wispers. Nobody wants to say who was the snitch.
It is said that to disguise the situation, while dogs fight for their lives and people scream, music blasts.
And, we must be honest. the authorities know exactky what is going on. There are dig fight being held in the north, south, eat and west of colombia’s capital city. Ther are 5.500 neighberhoods in Bogotá nad this hell is in each one od them. In all kinds of places: garages and homes.
When you tell the authorities they just ignore it.
But they tend to ignore this problem. The police check ups do not include this businesses. And, if they happen to be caught they just change from house to house.
As Camargo explained, this is a problem that is lived in about 50 percent of our (Colombia) municipalities. If the municipalities have a large amount of people there are always people who organise dog fights, it could be mafias or random people.
Actions to achieve change
Laura Viera A: What can we do to change this reality?
Batman Camargo, Colombian activist: At the moment, the only thing we can do is keep on working and tell the authorities. We need to shake of the fear towards those who organize the fights. However, the real change should be with legislative.
Laura Viera A: What role do the authorities play?
Batman Camargo, Colombian activist: The authorities don’t do anything about it. In every single case that I have been involved in I have seen police members that agree with the fights. There are even police members that orgize fights on their homes.
In the past, dogs where used to fight against bulls. They pured boiking water to the bull in order to make it more agressive and would confront dogs in order to see how much time they would last.
Through out the history of many cultures, dog fights have benn documented and are supposed to have existed since the beginning of domestication of animals. So much so, that many races have been trained and specifically selected in strength, attitude and psychological aspects that made them the best dogs for the fight
During the XXI century, this has become an illegal activity and rejected in most places around the world. In some places there are fines and in others even jail time.
This is an illegal, cruel and clandestined business that is very well organized. There are promoters, organizers and ven trainers.
Dog fights where prohibited by the 84th law on 1989 in Colombia. However, in the past few years it has become more and more popular.
To get these animals to act in such a manner they are tortured. The animal abuse techniques are chilling.
They force them to carry heavy loads, they squeeze their testicles, they put spice on their muzzles and ears and even hadn them from tires to strengthen the jaws or sometimes burn them with oil.
In these hellish places, dogs cheat their lives and people consume liquor and drugs as the fight take place. Dogs that are saved from fights hardly go to the vet. It would be a quite out of the ordinary. The usual thing is that they heal wounds at home and most of the time end up dying from infections. The bodies of these steel fighters are buried in lots and paddocks, while they are replaced.
