By Jill Rappaport
Today.com
The statistics are alarming. This year alone, an estimated 250,000 dogs will be lured into the dogfighting ring and 100,000 people will be participating in this horrific crime that is a felony in all 50 states.
But thanks to a very special outreach program started by The Humane Society of the United States, people and their pets are now joining forces to stop dogfighting once and for all.
The innovative campaign is called “End Dogfighting” and it was first introduced in Chicago, continued in Atlanta, and has just hit Philadelphia. The purpose is to have weekly lectures and training seminars for people and their dogs, and to make them aware of the devastating consequences for you and your animal if you partake in this gruesome sport.
According to the Humane Society’s Wayne Pacelle, this program has been a “win-win for everyone, because if we can instill this idea of empathy and goodness toward these less powerful creatures, then they are going to be good to their neighbors, and members of the community.” And as far as the dogs go, the majority of which are pit bulls, they too get a second chance to show that they can be loving and trustworthy once again, the way they were born to be.
