Dog Fighting Awareness Day

Dog Fighting Awareness Day is April 8th

April 8 is National Dog Fighting Awareness Day, a day of acknowledgment and awareness of the pervasiveness of dogfighting in the United States. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA, established the holiday as a means of spreading the truth about this barbaric bloodsport and encouraging animal lovers from every corner of the nation to speak out and take action against this heinous act of animal cruelty.

History of Dog Fighting Awareness Day

In 2014, The ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) designated April 8 National Dog Fighting Awareness Day. There is a misconception that dogfighting doesn’t happen all that much in America, but that’s not the case. In spite of being a felony offense in all 50 states, the ASPCA has found evidence suggesting that tens of thousands of people remain involved in dogfighting. Despite its popularity in underground circles, a 2018 poll conducted by Edge Research found that 57 percent of those polled believed dogfighting never happens in their community. The survey also found that most people did not feel confident in their ability to identify or recognize signs of dogfighting in their community. National Dog Fighting Awareness Day’s purpose is to increase people’s attention on the matter, foster knowledge in recognizing dogfighting activities, and instruct them on how to report this cruelty to authorities.

More About Dogfighting

• Dogfighting is a federal felony in the entire United States of America as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.
• Possession of dogs for fighting purposes is a felony in most states.
• It is illegal in every state to be a spectator at a dogfight.
• Although fights may not be to the death, many dogs may perish due to their injuries. Losing dogs tend to be discarded, killed, or left with injuries untreated.
• A dog’s breed does not determine it’s aggressiveness. A properly treated and trained dog is likely to develop into a well-behaved buddy.
• Reasons for people’s involvement with dogfighting range from greed, social status, and/or sadism.
• The ASPCA has assisted with 200 dogfighting cases in multiple states and helped rescue, consult, and investigate on behalf of about 5,000 dogfighting victims.

Ways to Observe Dog Fighting Awareness Day

For more information on how to combat dog fighting, visit the ASPCA’s website and see what you can do:

• Break the Chain: ASPCA’s page for National Dogfighting Awareness Day.
• Learn more about dogfighting
• Learn how to report Animal Cruelty
• Visit ASPCA’s Facebook

Post with the hashtag #GetTough and help spread the word on dogfighting awareness. Donate if you can. Sign the ASPCA’s petition calling for more federal action on dogfighting.

Dogs are man’s best friend. It’s time for us to return the favor.