Sample Letter to the Editor about Dogfighting

[Name of Editor]
[Name of Publication]
[Address]
[City, State, Zip]

Re: Dogfighting

Dear [Mr./Ms. Last Name]:

[If you are responding to an article that has run in the publication, cite the article's title and date. Please note that the purpose of this letter is to enhance public awareness of the evils of dogfighting in general, not to make accusations against individuals or organizations or to comment on particular events. (If you have information to support specific accusations, you should contact local law enforcement agencies rather than the media.) Keep your letter general in nature, using the following text as an example.]

It is inexcusable that some people view the animal suffering involved in staged dogfights as a form of entertainment or a way to make a profit. And it is difficult to believe that this illegal and shameful activity is on the upswing.

For those who are unacquainted with dogfighting, it involves placing two dogs in a pit (usually an area enclosed by plywood walls) where they must fight before a crowd of cheering spectators until one dog becomes too injured or exhausted to continue. Dogs used in these brutal contests have been bred for maximum aggressiveness. The fights may last from several minutes to more than two hours, and the dogs usually suffer painful injuries, including multiple puncture wounds, deep lacerations, and broken bones. Dogs often die from dehydration, blood loss, infection, exhaustion, or shock as a result of a fight, and owners kill many of the losing dogs by gunshot or other methods.

Dogfighters often use stolen pets and stray or unowned animals as training fodder for their dogs. Dogfighters have also been known to obtain "bait" animals through "free to good home" advertisements.

Aside from the animal suffering involved, this so-called sport has several other disturbing aspects, which have been revealed by law enforcement raids. Gambling is the norm at dogfighting events. Thousands of dollars can change hands as spectators bet on their favorite dogs. The owner of the winning dog collects anywhere from several hundred to tens of thousands of dollars in presumably undeclared income. Because large amounts of cash are present, firearms and other weapons are common at dogfights. Violent crimes, even homicides, have been connected to dogfighting in recent years. Furthermore, law enforcement officials have documented a strong connection between dogfighting and the distribution of illegal drugs.

The presence of young children at dogfights is especially disturbing. Exposure to such brutality can promote insensitivity to animal suffering and enthusiasm for violence. Anthropologist Margaret Mead suggested that acts of cruelty to animals committed in childhood may signify the development of an impulsive, assaultive character disorder. Psychiatrists at the Menninger Foundation revealed that a history of cruelty to animals can be symptomatic of seriously abnormal aggression and that such aggression is significantly associated with aggressive behavior directed against other humans. Animal fighting is a vicious and brutal activity that can breed violence.

Dogfighting is against the law in all 50 states and a felony in almost every state. If dogfighting is to be eradicated, it must become a felony in every state. Currently, promoters and trainers simply migrate from states where dogfighting is a felony to states where the penalties are lighter or the law is not aggressively enforced. We must encourage law enforcement officials and the courts to take this crime seriously if we are to stop this violent trend.

Sincerely,

[Your Signature]

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your City, State, Zip]
[Your Phone Number]

[Note: Some newspapers require your address and phone number before they publish a letter to the editor, but you may request that this information be withheld.