Dog fighting is a cancer that must be eradicated

April 8 was National Dog Fighting Awareness Day. As a loving “dog parent,” I am sickened and horrified by the fact that some people abuse their dogs in order to satisfy their own selfish desires for money.

Pit bulls are commonly used as fighting dogs and, as a result, the public thinks that all “bully breeds” are vicious or dangerous. Nothing could be further from the truth. Anyone who has owned bully breed dogs can tell you that they are loving and loyal to a fault.

The sad thing is dog fighters pervert their animal’s innate desire to please their master and force the dog to fight for their master’s love and approval. Dogs that lose usually die in the fight; dogs that don’t fight well are killed by their owners.

Dog fighters create dangerous dogs, sometimes breeding father with daughter or mother with son, brother with sister, to maximize their chances of having big, strong, aggressive dogs. They teach the dogs that it’s a good thing to be mean and aggressive — but that’s not the dog’s natural temperament or disposition.

Dog fighting is a cancer on the human soul and psyche. Studies have shown children growing up around animal abuse, especially dog fighting, become desensitized to violence. They are less likely to feel empathy or compassion for any life form, including humans. They are more likely to misuse guns or abuse alcohol and drugs.

As a Mexican-American, I am deeply offended when dog fighters seek to excuse their monstrous behavior by saying “it’s a cultural thing.” I remind them that cutting the hearts out of sacrificial victims was an Aztec thing but we moved away from such barbarism and that neither the Virgin of Guadalupe nor her divine son would approve of dog fighting. Of that, I am sure.