New laws with teeth... to prevent dog fighting Although dog fighting is a felony in 44 states and attending fights is prohibited in 49 states, the United States Humane Society estimates 40,000 people are actively involved in it. 'Tougher legislation now makes it possible for police to build a case and make arrests by finding evidence of dog fighting...' [The Journal Gazette]

This month, in  Montgomery County, Maryland, police found a ring operating out of an abandoned Gaithersburg apartment; when they raided the apartment, the news media coverage mercifully would not show images of the raided apartment's gruesome finds: a dead dog and two dogs near death without food or water. In dog fighting raids, such finds are typical. Unfortunately, rescuers must also euthanize most of the rescued dogs; abused dogs trained to fight are difficult to rehabilitate; dog fighters often force dogs to eat drugs and steroids. 'Pit bulls are not innately aggressive... But irresponsible ownership and selective breeding can cause violent behavior in the animals...' It is their muscular jaws, which can snap a leg like a matchstick, that makes them attractive to dog fighters.