Dog fighting involves pitting dogs against each other for entertainment and gambling purposes. It has been illegal in the UK since 1835 but reports of dog fighting have increased 400% in recent years. To train dogs for fighting, they are often starved, beaten, and made to do strenuous exercise to encourage aggression and build endurance. The documentary showed footage of dog fights to the RSPCA to help investigate illegal dog fighting and identify those involved. Many viewers commented anger at the sport, calling it barbaric and saying those who participate should face imprisonment.

1. CHANNEL 4
DOCUMENTARY
“Going to the Dogs”

2. What is ‘Dog Fighting’?
Dog fighting is known as a type of blood sport which means it results in
killing. This involves pitting two dogs against each other purely for
entertainment.
Dog fighting has been illegal since 1835; however there has been a 400%
increase in the last few years.
The fight ends by one of the dogs being declared ‘winner’, if the losing dog
has not already died through injuries from the fight, it will typically be
killed by its owner through a gun, beatings or torture.

3. Training:
To train the dogs, they suffer
through starvation, beatings
and exhausting exercise in
order to encourage malice,
build endurance and
strengthen the dog.

4. Why do People Watch/Organize Dog
Fights?
• For entertainment purposes.
• Dog fighting creates revenue for the owner if their dog wins.
• In addition to this people can place bets on the dogs they think will
win.
• Prizes can be up to as much as £50,000 if your dog wins.

5. What is Being Done?
The program was seen by those at
the RSPCA who found it necessary
to ask for more footage, in order to
investigate the illegal sport shown,
and find who was responsible or
involved in the matter.

6. Some Example Comments:
'Channel 4 should be fined and made to hand over the details of
the cowards involved along with the footage. This makes me so
angry I could cry. I do not understand how this was considered
suitable content.’
'Dog fighting is as bad as fox hunting, anyone who takes part in
such barbaric sports should be imprisoned for a long time.’
'It is sick. People who make their dogs fight should be tortured
in my opinion. Dogs are for pets and not bred to fight.'

7. Hate:
'when the first fight came around, it was descended into
benevolent farce as the pit bulls attempted to mate rather than
rip each other from limb to limb.’
This made the opinions against the show much stronger, as it
was made apparent that none of the dogs wanted to fight, and
that it was actually the opposite.