The ASPCA has officially designated April 8 National Dog Fighting Awareness Day (NDFAD) to raise awareness about dog fighting brutality, including little-known truths about the blood sport and its continuing prevalence in America. And – you can help them raise awareness! The issue has gained some attention with the recent signing of Michael Vick with the NY Jets—in 2007, Vick and his associates pled guilty to torturing and killing dogs because they didn’t perform well in his dog fighting ring.
Despite being a felony in all 50 states, people continue to train and fight dogs. Last year alone, the ASPCA played a major role in raiding two multi-state dogfights involving hundreds of victimized dogs.
National Dog Fighting Awareness Day features an interactive information and advocacy center on ASPCA.org that includes:
- A Google+ Hangout panel with national experts to discuss the underground world of dog fighting
- A never-before-seen short documentary to be released later this week, including undercover footage of dog fights, ASPCA rescue activity at dog fighting raids and expert insight
- An interactive quiz that debunks common misconceptions about dog fighting and the dogs and people involved in this so-called sport
- A “virtual museum” photo gallery of dog fighting and training paraphernalia, including dog treadmills, fighting pits and narcotics used to increase aggression before a fight
- Profiles of dog fighting victims rescued by the ASPCA — most recently from the second-largest dog fighting raid in U.S. history
The ASPCA is asking people nationwide to share their stand against dog fighting on April 8 by using the Twitter hashtag #NDFAD and changing their Facebook cover photo to an anti-dog fighting image.
Our goal is to elevate the perception of dog fighting from an isolated criminal act to a deep and persistent stain on our national character.