Jul 27, 2007 6:30 pm US/Eastern
Baltimore City Is Cracking Down On Dog Fighting
by Mike Schuh
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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Dog fighting has been in the news and now Baltimore City is leading the fight to crack down on it. (File)
CBS
Baltimore City police and the health department are teaming up in a new effort against dangerous dogs in the city.
Mike Schuh reports that efforts involve setting up a task force.
Dog fighting has been in the news and now Baltimore City is leading the fight to crack down on it.
Just last month a 53-year-old woman was mauled by two pit bulls outside her apartment in East Baltimore. She was walking through the parking lot when the dogs attacked. More than 90 percent of her body was bitten, nearly killing her.
It's attacks like these that have Baltimore City putting together a task force against dangerous dogs.
"It's a task force to bring together communities and others, to really focus on dogs that are having an impact violently with residents and to really get a handle on the problem," said Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon.
Investigators have not said whether those dogs in the East Baltimore attack were used for dog fighting. But in the last year, Baltimore has seen more than 350 reports of pit bull bites.
"In Baltimore City, most of the people train it to be aggressive with anything that moves--humans, dogs, cats, the world. I think more people are beginning to report what they see. I think communities are realizing they don't have to put up with this and it's actually part of a crime now," said Bob Anderson, spokesperson for City Animal Control.
"This has most deep-seated roots in organized crime, in drug deals, in gang culture and most certainly in violent crime in this city," said acting Baltimore City police commissioner Fred Bealefeld.
Just Thursday in Richmond, Va., Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was arraigned in federal court on charges of running a dog fighting operation in his home.
Some of the dogs involved are to believed to have come from Maryland. Vick pleaded not guilty and will go on trial in November.
While pit bulls are most often associated with dog fighting, owners of the breed say it's all in how you raise them.
"I think it's a bad rap, it's based surely on what the owners do and not the dogs themselves," said Jenny Nuber, a pit bull owner.
The incident in East Baltimore is still under investigation. Animal control officers did seize three other dogs from the home, but left a number of puppies with the owners.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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