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Dog days

Man can be dog's best--or worst--friend

Date published: 8/26/2007

ONE OF LIFE'S great satisfactions is the sight of Canis lupus familiaris--the domestic dog--doing what he was bred to do. Watching a border collie sweep over a green field, artfully gathering a flock of sheep, a yellow Labrador retriever in harness guiding a blind person through a busy city, or a snow-white Maltese terrier snuggling with his elderly owner brings satisfaction and peace to the human heart. Fido is in his place--all's right with the world.

Of course, there is the other side. The same skill and intelligence that have allowed man to breed dogs for specific, helpful purposes also can be used for ill, as the Michael Vick saga has proved. Experts estimate more than 40,000 people in the United States are involved in dogfighting. Wagers can run into tens of thousands of dollars. And training the pit bulls generally used in the fights can be a sophisticated venture: One raid on an Orangeburg, S.C., dogfighting facility yielded treadmills and other equipment that would "rival an Olympic facility" according to law enforcement officials.

The misuse of dogs in this brutal blood sport brings pain, suffering, and death. Sadly, those who love the breed say pit bulls, even those trained to be aggressive toward other animals, are extraordinarily loyal to humans and put up with all manner of abuse. But their love goes unrewarded: Losers are usually killed by their owners. Seized dogs are often deemed unfit for adoption and are euthanized by authorities. Of the 65 dogs taken at the Vick property, 49 are now in federal custody, their fate as yet undetermined. In the man-dog relationship, it's generally the dog that has to pay.

Dogfighting, of course, is one end of the spectrum of animal abuse. Plenty more examples of everyday misuse abound: dogs left on chains, dogs in hot cars, dogs allowed to roam, dogs that are allowed to breed and produce more dogs. The shelters are overrun with unwanted canines, and anyone who lives in the country can tell tales of litters of puppies dumped ignominiously at the end of a farmer's lane. Add to that dogs purchased as family pets and then allowed to live their lives as backyard castoffs, victims of neglect. Man finds many ways to mistreat his Best Friend.

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Date published: 8/26/2007

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