With the increased number of stolen dogs, some central Alberta rescuers are confident there are dog-fighting rings operating in the province.
Kim Taylor, owner and operator at Remote K-9 Search and Rescue, said that in any given month, she usually does about eight over-the-phone consultations to help dog owners find their pooches.
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That number was 21 starting around Nov. 28.
“I saw my normal case load coming in quadrupled, and it continued and continued at such a rate that at any given time, I was consulting 21 clients, plus I was doing live searches and this did not slow down,” Taylor said Tuesday.
The dog whisperer noted the number of consultations was slow this week.
Apart from this, the Sundre-area resident said there is other evidence of dog-fighting rings, such as no trace of where the stolen dogs go, which is unusual.
“They’re simply burying the bodies. They’re not throwing them in a bag or putting them in a ditch and risk being traced.”
In the past three months, she has come across two dog collars left on the side of the road – something she suspects happens when someone takes dogs with them and removes any ID.
“It all points towards something sinister,” she said, noting it’s “beyond cruel and sadistic.”
Taylor said underground dog fighting involves intensifying dogs’ prey drive by using smaller-sized dogs as bait, while female dogs are used as breeders.
In other instances, the dogs are trained by using weights and treadmills to get the canines to be muscular and ready to fight any size of dog.
Betting involves thousands of dollars, based on the dog fighting documentaries Taylor has seen.
Where in the province it is happening, is a question she could not answer. The dog rescuer said fighting rings are probably in secluded places and not in one place for very long.
“These take place on secluded farms, acreages, places where your neighbour wouldn’t notice if you have lot of traffic every second Tuesday of the month, say,” she said.
Saving Grace Animal Society’s executive director, Erin Deems, agrees there are dog-fighting rings in the province.
In February 2017, the Alix animal society rescuedSweetpea – a pit bull with dog-fighting injuries.
“The vet suspected she was involved in a dog fight just due to her injuries.”
Both experts ask people to keep close eye on their furry friends and report any suspicious activity to the police.
Deems noted Bill C-84 broadens the definition of bestiality and expands provisions against animals used for fighting.
Those who want to learn more can visit www.humanecanada.ca/bill_c-84.
Sylvan Lake & Area Serenity Pet Shelter Society president Melanie Crehan said without the proper laws, Canadians can’t protect their pets. She encouraged people to support Bill C-84.
“We know there are dog-fighting rings. We don’t know where, we know the type of people they are, we don’t know how to catch them,” said Crehan, adding the organized crime-type business is cruel where animals are shown no empathy.
mamta.lulla@reddeeradvocate.com
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