RUPERTKBD Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 It looks like there may be a dog fighting ring operating in the Ft. St. John area. Over 100 dogs have gone missing over the past 12 months and the North Peace SPCA has seen a dozen dogs brought in with injuries consistent with dog fights. From CBC.ca: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/dog-fight-fort-st-john-dogs-canines-thefts-stolen-missing-pets-spca-rcmp-1.3461018 Quote CBC INVESTIGATES Dognapping in northern B.C. fuels fears of dog-fighting rings ‘You hear the dogs just tearing each other apart’ By Natalie Clancy, Yvette Brend, CBC News Posted: Feb 25, 2016 2:00 AM PT Last Updated: Feb 25, 2016 4:47 AM PT Play Media Dognappings fuel fear of dog-fighting rings 1:56 2750 shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Google Share Email About The Author Natalie ClancyInvestigative Reporter | CBC News Vancouver Natalie Clancy is an award-winning journalist with a 25 year track record for breaking stories. Her investigations have exposed how Canadian girls are recruited by ISIS, sexual harassment in the RCMP, and forced the B.C. government to improve safety for nurses. Related Stories Animal rights groups fight application to euthanize 21 dogs Dog attacks: How courts decide on euthanization Dogs could be the key to curing cancer External Links Stolen Dogs 911 Facebook Stolen Dogs 911 Change.org (Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external links.) Dozens of disappearing dogs are creating near hysteria among rural dog owners in northern B.C., a region plagued for years by rumours of organized dog fighting. Witnesses hoping for further investigation have come forward to describe the violent events to the North Peace SPCA. and to police. The rumours, coupled with the reported disappearance of more than 120 dogs in the past 12 months, are fuelling panic. 'Dogs just tearing each other apart' One couple said they stumbled across an organized dog fight near Fort St. John. "My dog just stopped dead in her tracks and jumped backwards," said the man, who told CBC he was walking his own puppy with his girlfriend, when they came across a circle of people huddled around "snarling" dogs in a fight in August or September of 2015, in a rural area near the city. Sherry Lafournie of Dawson Creek B.C. lost her beloved dog Braxton, and fears he was used in a dogfight. "We heard all the growling and the fighting and them going crazy at each other. And the people going 'Yah! Yah! Yah! Get 'em. Get 'em!'" said the man who spoke on condition his identity was protected. Animal rights group fight application to euthanize 21 dogs "You hear the dogs just tearing each other apart," he said. "Growling and snarling and barking — yelping when they were getting hurt." What they saw — and heard — left them sickened and terrified that those who organize dog fighting, might turn on them. Evidence difficult to find People who work with animals in the area say this couple's fears are founded. "I totally believe it," said Candace Buchamer, the North Peace SPCA. branch manager, of the witness account. Illegal American dogfighting rings have been raided in multiple U.S. states after investigations by the American Humane Society lasting years. This image is from video seized in a raid. (American Humane Society) Dog lovers and breeders fear northern B.C. dogs are at risk. One found a mutilated terrier in a ditch that died of its wounds within minutes. Another found a skinned canine, missing its head and paws, with deep bruising and evidence a microchip had been removed. Buchamer said 127 dogs have disappeared in the last year from the Fort St. John area alone; that's double the previous year. "They are taking two to three dogs at a time ... so it is planned," she added. Injuries suggest dog fighting, said Buchamer "We are seeing full intact animals with bites to their front limbs, their chest, their neck areas. It just doesn't add up." North Peace SPCA branch manager Candace Buchamer believes dog fights are happening in her community and pets are at risk. (CBC) Buchamer said she has seen 12 dead or injured dogs that have come to the SPCA with injuries consistent with dog fighting. "If a wolf or a coyote had tracked that animal down and had hunted it [then] they do not just kill it and leave it. They are hunting it to have a meal. You are going to see some sort of predation on that animal. That's not the case." Buchamer said she is speaking as a dog lover and not in her official capacity for the SPCA when it comes to her suspicions about illegal dog fighting and dog thefts. Pit bull-cross Braxton (left) disappeared from Dawson Creek B.C., and his owner Sherry Lafournie fears he was used for baiting fighting dogs. (Sherry Lafournie/Facebook) "The collars would be left on the chains they were tied on. The fences would be open. Some dogs would be stolen right out of the back of pickup trucks," said Buchamer. Owners fear pets used as 'bait dogs' Some owners believe family pets are not only stolen to fight, but also to help train fighting dogs to be aggressive. Buchamer says the American Humane Society has found similar evidence. "They will steal old and sickly large dogs strictly to teach their fighting dog how to be aggressive. These dogs don't stand a chance against the trained dogs, and it's only meant to give them that thirst for the blood and to go until the death, " Buchamer explained. The thought of this terrifies people who have lost dogs. "I've been out there every day looking for my dog," said Sherry Lafournie. Brad Tanner believes his family dog was stolen, then shot in the back of the head when he raised concerns about dog-fighting rings near Fort St. John. (CBC) She tears ups when she thinks about her beloved pit bull-cross Braxton. She fears he may have been stolen for use as a bait dog near Dawson Creek in January. "Why else would you take a dog that you don't know?" she said. Spike in missing dogs Braxton is one of dozens of missing dogs whose photos appear on social media pages designed to help find them. Several dogs have been found shot or mutilated, then discarded in roadside snowbanks. Chocco disappeared from his Cecil Lake B.C. home, then turned up dead, shot in the back of the neck. (Brad Tanner) Strange skinned carcasses and reports of suspected dognappers trying to lure mostly large bully breeds into vehicles have set off panic among dog lovers. "We've had strange vehicles driving up and down the road turning their lights off, and then a week later my dog disappears," said Lafournier. Brad Tanner's dog Chocco disappeared last year. The dog breeder who lives near Cecil Lake spoke out about dog fighting, convinced his dog had been stolen and illegal fight organizers played a role. Then Chocco turned up — dead. Family dog found shot "[Chocco] was shot in the back of the neck, point blank range." Tanner is convinced dog fights are happening, bait dogs are being used and that his dog was killed to shut him up. "I caused enough $&!# that these people got nervous," said Tanner. Roxy disappeared in Fort St. John, part of the inspiration for the Facebook page, Stolen Dogs 911. (Stolen Dogs 911/Facebook) "People will bet money on how long that dog will live for... all kinds of sick, sick things." Since then he has invested thousands in new fencing, security cameras and a dog tracking system. He also started a Facebook page — Stolen Dogs 911 — to track the numbers of missing animals, even offering a $3,000 reward for information about dog-fighting rings. Petition demands investigation Tanner is one of nearly 1,000 panicked dog owners who have signed a petition demanding the province give the SPCA and the RCMP resources to investigate. They point to the American Humane Society, which raided hundreds of U.S. dog rings, resulting in dozens of convictions. Tanner can't understand the lack of action, insisting fears are not paranoia. "It's undeniable. You tell me where 200 dogs are going in a year?" Deuce is just one of 127 dogs that have disappeared near Fort St. John B.C. in the past 12 months. (Stolen Dogs 911/Facebook) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jägermeister Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 People are frakin' gross. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higgyfan Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Disgusting display of human garbage. Just can't imagine what this is like for the dogs' owners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riske1 Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Absolutely pisses me off. I will put out an open invitation to anyone involved in this disgraceful crap to PM me so I can kick the $&!# out of them. We need more old fashioned justice these days IMO. Every year I donate what I can to the SPCA and urge all animal loving folks to do the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chalky Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Stories like this make my blood boil. I could seriously lose it and make bad decisions if I came across an arranged dog fight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucklehead Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 So there was and eye witness to an event and a location. Where is the follow up on this. What else are the authorities doing? This is beyond the duties of the SPCA cruelty investigations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down by the River Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Read this in the early AM and my first couple hours of work were distracted by the thought of my dog being stolen and treated like this. It is just disgusting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aladeen Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 When they catch these bastards we should all be able to watch them fight each other to the death in a cage match. The winner gets to rot in prison for the rest of their miserable lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monty Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 7 minutes ago, Aladeen said: When they catch these bastards we should all be able to watch them fight each other to the death in a cage match. The winner gets to rot in prison for the rest of their miserable lives. I love dogs as much as the next guy. Have owned a Boston Terrier (RIP), two French Bulldogs (one passed away), and have a third French Bulldog on the way. That said, they're animals. Not condoning dogfighting in any way, shape, or form. But let's keep things in perspective, here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUPERTKBD Posted February 25, 2016 Author Share Posted February 25, 2016 I encourage everyone to sign the petition asking the Province give the SPCA and RCMP resources to properly investigate this situation: https://www.change.org/p/mla-mike-bernier-stolen-dogs-we-need-the-police-to-take-action-about-the-rising-number-of-stolen-dogs?recruiter=32797831&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=fb_send_dialog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aladeen Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 51 minutes ago, Monty said: I love dogs as much as the next guy. Have owned a Boston Terrier (RIP), two French Bulldogs (one passed away), and have a third French Bulldog on the way. That said, they're animals. Not condoning dogfighting in any way, shape, or form. But let's keep things in perspective, here. Obviously it was hyperbole combined with an ironic punishment. But in reality I hope they are brought to justice soon, I'm not even a dog guy myself and I find stuff like this sickening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerrDrFunk Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Maybe I'm just too much of a liberal peacenik to understand but I just don't get how someone can look at a dog and think "Yeah, I want to see you tear another dog apart." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry Goose Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 It's so sad that these poor animals get forced into this. The worst is the use of 'bait' dogs to stir the fight dogs into a frenzy- these dogs get mauled and attacked repeatedly. One bait dog was left leashed in a back yard somewhere in the states for days and after all she's been through she STILL wanted to be social with her human rescuers. 2 hours ago, Monty said: I love dogs as much as the next guy. Have owned a Boston Terrier (RIP), two French Bulldogs (one passed away), and have a third French Bulldog on the way. That said, they're animals. Not condoning dogfighting in any way, shape, or form. But let's keep things in perspective, here. We are animals too you know, the only difference being is that we are supposedly rational in the sense that we can distinguish between acts we ought to do and those we shouldn't. Pretty sad if you ask me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaimito Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 1 hour ago, HerrDrFunk said: Maybe I'm just too much of a liberal peacenik to understand but I just don't get how someone can look at a dog and think "Yeah, I want to see you tear another dog apart." more like, "how much money can I make from this dog?". When u think what people can do to children like slavery and child prostitution, it isn't hard to think about dog fighting, preying mantis fighting, cock fighting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Losing With Pride Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Stiffen the penalties for these scum bags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riffraff Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 19 hours ago, Chalky said: Stories like this make my blood boil. I could seriously lose it and make bad decisions if I came across an arranged dog fight. Not a bad decision really.... Costly maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riffraff Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Can barely read this stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chalky Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 9 minutes ago, riffraff said: Not a bad decision really.... Costly maybe. Only costly if I get caught... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyLuciano Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 This is what replaces the Roman Empire fighting games? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tre Mac Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 I would make them pray for death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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