Dog fighting in the United States

Dog fighting in the United States is an activity in which fights between two game dogs are staged as a form of entertainment and gambling. Such activity has existed since the early 19th century in the United States and was gradually prohibited in all states. It continues as an underground activity in both rural and urban locations.^[1]

In the late 20th century, police and animal control law enforcement task forces, primarily of local and state authorities, were formed in many parts of the country to combat dog fighting rings, which constituted serious animal welfare violations and had links to organized crime and social problems. In 2007, the U.S. Congress passed a federal law against interstate dog-fighting activities, providing for felony-level penalties including multi-year prison sentences and large fines for each offense; passage of this law was followed by the involvement of Special Agents of the Office the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in ongoing investigations around the country.

In April 2007, the illegal activity received widespread attention after evidence surfaced suggesting professional football player Michael Vick had a dog-fighting ring operating on his property. The case resulted in guilty pleas by several individuals and to a single felony count for Vick, who received a 21-month federal sentence.^[2][3]

In 2009, Ed Faron was sentenced for six months for running the largest-known dog-fighting ring in the United States, called Wildside Kennels.^[4][5]