Published: September 24, 2007 02:09 pm      

FREEDMAN: Animal entertainment is wrong

Although dog fighting is a crime in all states, at least 40,000 Americans are actively involved in the industry, according to the Humane Society of the United States. This number rises into the millions if you include spectators. One pit-bull breeder recently told “Newsweek” he attends dog fighting matches in rural North Carolina that are conducted in a structure built just for dog fighting, complete with bleachers and a concession stand.

Earlier this year, in another southern state, a friend of mine rescued an abandoned pit-bull mix puppy, who was found wandering along a country road. He was infested with parasites, severely malnourished, his body bloodied by numerous dog bites. He had apparently been used as a “bait dog” in the training of larger fighting dogs. Despite his hellish experiences, Mickey is a sweet, playful, loving dog. Stan fattened up Mickey, and made sure Mickey received veterinary care and neutering. Stan brought many of us together to assist with expenses and with placement. Today, Mickey is happily settled in a home where he has captured the hearts of a kind family that was willing to take a chance on him.

In July, a federal indictment accused Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick of running a dog fighting operation, in which dogs that did not perform well were electrocuted, hanged or drowned.

Whatever may be in store for Vick when he is sentenced in December, far too many police and humane law enforcement agencies do not have prevention of animal fighting anywhere on their radar screens. We also need to stop all cruel use of animals in what are now legal forms of public “entertainment”.

We traditionally regard the circus as a happy place, full of excitement and pageantry, but what would incite a tiger to jump through flaming hoops, or an elephant to balance himself on one foot? Circus animals spend most of their lives in chains or in cramped cages, and are denied any semblance of natural lives. Numerous eyewitness reports describe how these animals have been beaten, electroshocked or burned into submission. According to a former elephant trainer, “Sadie just could not grasp what we were trying to show her. In frustration she attempted to run out of the ring. We brought her back and began to punish her for being so stupid. We stopped suddenly, and looked at each other, unable to speak. Sadie was crying like a human being. She lay there on her side, the tears streaming down her face and sobs wracking her huge body.”

Sadie’s tears remain a symbol of the suffering of all animals used for entertainment, including rodeo animals. According to People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), “every major animal protection organization opposes rodeos because of their inherent cruelty. Although rodeo promoters portray animals as wild and rough, the frightened and usually docile animals used in rodeo events are only goaded to such behavior through the use of spurs, tail-twisting, and bucking straps cinched tightly around their abdomens. They are terrorized when participants shock them with electric prods, twist their necks, yank them by their tails or legs, slam them against the ground, or otherwise batter them. Following a life of confinement, abuse, pain and fear, the final destination for most of these animals is the slaughterhouse.”

It has been nearly 100 years since the humanitarian Dr. Albert Schweitzer wrote that “the time will come when public opinion will no longer tolerate amusements based on the mistreatment and killing of animals. The time will come, but when?”

The indictment of Michael Vick has helped to raise awareness about the brutal blood “sport” of dog fighting. Now the time has come for making Schweitzer’s prediction a reality. Otherwise, as Schweitzer believed, “until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.”

Joel Freedman is chairman of the public education committee of Animal Rights Advocates of Upstate New York.