Mo Chara Animal Rescue: The vile practice of dog fighting

Dog fighting is a sadistic ‘contest’ in which two dogs – generally specifically bred, conditioned, and trained to fight – are placed in a pit or enclosure and forced to fight each other for the spectators’ entertainment and gambling. ‘Bait animals’ are used by dog fighters to encourage aggression in their fight dogs and test their fighting instinct. These bait animals are typically tied to a post either with their snouts taped shut or in some cases, with their teeth deliberately broken so that they can’t fight back, while fighting dogs are set upon them. Many bait animals are killed during this exercise while others are simply dumped afterwards. Dog fighters have been quoted in the past as saying that acquiring bait animals is the easiest part of dog fighting due to the huge numbers of family pets advertised as “free to good home” – that said, what animals they can’t claim for free they will often kidnap or steal. Quite recently, there was uproar in Cashel town when a large number of cats and kittens were stolen from homes and gardens over the space of a fortnight. While residents pointed fingers at a local group of people known for their association with bloodsports, no prosecutions were made and the missing pets were never found.

Dumped

This poor little girl was picked up by a very kind lady on Kickham Street in Thurles just before midnight on the 5th of December. Reports indicate she was dumped from a car shortly beforehand. It was immediately evident that her face had been savaged by another dog and she also has some older scarring on her body. When she reached our vets for a proper examination, they were horrified to see that her canine teeth, both top and bottom appear to have been recently clipped or 'blunted'.

The severity of wounds on her face and lack of fresh wounds on her body would suggest that she was unable to turn and flee at the time of the attack. Some of her puncture wounds are so severe that the punctures extend from her mouth, through the bone in her upper jaw, to her eye. While improving daily, her face is still so swollen that the vets can't yet determine if she'll need surgery to repair the damage. At this time, all signs point to her having being used as bait. She is still little more than a baby, we estimate between 12 and 14 months old. The brilliant team at our vets have named her Solas - we think it's very fitting, this sweet girl surely deserves a little light in her life.

In our 8 years of operation, we have encountered many victims of dog fighting around Thurles. All signs indicate that Solas is yet another. We've never managed a successful prosecution because even when we have leads, people just won't talk up when it truly counts - either out of fear of implicating themselves with the law or out of fear of retribution from the culprits. We beg you, if you recognise Solas or have any information about where she has come from, please contact us confidentially. This vile practice must be stopped.

For more information about Solas, adopting from Mo Chara Animal Rescue or for reports of animal cruelty, please call 087-2577182 or 087-6576022, email mocharaanimalrescue@live.ie or find us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/mocharaanimalrescue).

Upcoming Events

December 16th – Santa Dash, Glen Veterinary Clinic, Tipperary

Join us at 10am on Sunday December 16th at our Glen Veterinary Clinic on the Bansha Road in your festive dress for a walk around the town before returning to the clinic for well deserved treats of hot chocolate and mince pies. Not only will you get to meet some of our rescue dogs but great fun is ensured!