News – Fears Over Inner City Dog Fights

The RSPCA says a new generation are using rottweilers (left) in dog fights

An increasing number of dogs are suffering horrific injuries as a result of fights, the RSPCA has warned.

The charity says it is seeing a new wave of dog fighting, known as Chain Fighting or Rolling.

Unlike previous cases, the fights are informal and often take place in inner city public parks.

While the RSPCA has questioned whether the police have the powers to deal with such fights, ministers insist they have introduced tougher penalties.

Police have closed down many organised dog fighting rings but animal welfare groups say the number of people involved in “ad hoc” fights has risen dramatically.

David Grant from the RSPCA said he was seeing “unprecedented levels” of injuries.

He said: “We see two or three fights most days. At the weekend it can be quite bad, a few weekends ago we had 10″, he said.

Dogs as weapons

Mr Grant said the dogs were often badly hurt: “We frequently see ears torn off, eyes torn out. In my career as a vet – nearly 42 years – this is the worst it has ever been.

“I have never seen things as bad as this.”

The charity says gangs of young men are meeting in parks to turn their dogs on each other.

The dogs are often Rottweilers or Staffordshire bull terriers. It says their owners view the dogs primarily as protection or as a weapon.

Ministers says there are now tougher penalties for dog fighting and that the new Policing and Crime Bill will make it easier to seize dogs owned by criminal gangs.

But the RSPCA says the authorities still have limited powers to seize dogs kept by their owners as weapons.