How to Investigate Suspected Dog Fighting

Dog fighting has recently gained a great deal of negative national media attention, yet its popularity is still gaining momentum. This blood sport is illegal in all 50 states and is a felony in 48. For law enforcement officials to investigate suspected dog fighting, you may or may not need a search warrant.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Develop a community task force to investigate and combat dog fighting in your community. Police officers can be specifically trained to lead these task forces. Other members can distribute public service announcements, educate the public and give out contact information for use if anyone suspects dog fighting.
2. Look for evidence of dog fighting whether you are in a rural or urban area. Evidence can include dogs, training tools, veterinary supplies, cages and the remains of dead animals. Such evidence is often scattered throughout separate buildings, in various fields and several vehicles.
3. Obtain search warrants if needed to investigate a suspected dog fighting venue. You will need a probable cause for each building to be searched. The warrant must describe the building and any items to be seized.
4. Be aware of signs of neglect or abuse. These may include dogs chained with or without weights, multiple scars or wounds in various states of healing and dogs with short cropped ears when that is not usual for the breed.
5. Pursue charges under other laws if you don't have enough evidence. You can use more general anti-cruelty statutes or file charges according to evidence of peripheral crimes such as illegal gambling or possession and sale of illegal drugs or weapons.
6. Use case law to build your case. Lack of case law used to be a problem with pursuing suspected dog fighting charges. Now there is a growing body of cases that can help you predict the outcome of yours or help you understand what kind of evidence is enough to get a conviction.
7. Catch a fight in the act. In many jurisdictions this is what is required to prosecute actual dog fighting charges. That is why a lot of suspects are charged with other animal cruelty acts, which are easier to prove.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that pit bulls are not the only dogs that are used in fighting. Also remember that just because someone has a pit bull (or several) does not mean you should suspect that he is fighting them.
• Be wary of placing "free to a good home" advertisements for pets such as puppies and kittens. Dog fighters will often answer these ads and take the animals to be used as bait in dog fights.