I didn’t know such a practice existed until I was already out of college. I was a trainee back then at a call center and had a colleague who breeds dogs both for hobby and business. She breeds lots of dogs and one breed she is particularly fond of is the Pit Bull. I was under the impression that Pit bulls are dangerous and very temperamental, as people have stereotyped the said breed. Apparently and fortunately, I was wrong.

We, my husband (my boyfriend at that time) and I were invited by my friend to check out her place. Her dogs are all very sociable. I am a dog lover but when surrounded by too many dogs, of course, I don’t feel too comfortable. Add to that the fact that she has several Pit bulls. I was amazed that they were all too nice and sociable, their wiggly tails all signals that they want me to pet them. They are all so adorable. The dogs environment and how they are nurtured truly play a big role in their disposition.

Years later, when I was already working for another call center and have a team of my own, one of my staff is into the same hobby and business. One of his Pit bulls, is a champ on dog shows. We were surprised that he could leave his 2 yr old boy in the same room with his dog. We were amazed that it was the dog who is afraid of the kid. My staff’s kid would pinch and pull the dog and the dog would try to escape from him and hide from him. Judging from those 2 encounters, I could definitely say that dog aggression is only a product of bad pet owners.

Unfortunately, some people are breeding dogs for the sole purpose of having them participate in dog fights. Pit bulls are the ones most affected by the said practice. Owners refer to the act as “Roll”. Both my friend and former staff had numerous invitations for a “roll” with large amounts of money at stake (minimum bet is P20,000). Thankfully, both of them would never, in their lifetime, think twice about accepting those invitations. Sadly, that is not the case for some, hopefully not most, Pit bull owners. Dog fights are still happening these days, in secret locations and what’s more appalling is the fact that some politicians or military men are the ones responsible for these events.

I just hope and pray that people will have the heart to go against this illegal and inhumane betting game. What’s more heart breaking is the fact that after these fights, these dogs, those who are fortunate to win and outlive the other, will go back to their owners who are already thinking of the dog’s next fight.

PAWS, short for Philippine Animal Welfare Society is campaigning against dog fighting. You help them by making a donation via PayPal to aid them in this long and arduous battle. Please check out their site for details. I’m actually thinking of rendering volunteer hours aside from giving a small donation.