Abstract
Simple SummaryOrganizations responsible for placing dogs seized from dogfighting investigations often must determine if a particular dog should be euthanized because it is too dangerous or if it is safe to place the dog in an adoptive home. In this study, we examine whether the extent of scarring from dog fighting is a reliable predictor of aggression towards other dogs and therefore could be used to help make that decision. We found that dogs with 10 or more scars in the three body zones where dogfighting injuries tend to be concentrated were more likely, on average, to show aggression to other dogs. The relationship is imperfect, however. Many unscarred dogs were dog aggressive while some highly scarred dogs were not. Therefore, we recommend also assessing a dog’s behavior before making decisions about its disposition.When pit bull-type dogs are seized in an investigation of organized dogfighting, heavily scarred dogs are often assumed to be highly dog aggressive due to a history of fighting. These dogs may be deemed dangerous and euthanized based on scarring alone. We analyzed our existing data on dogs seized from four dogfighting investigations, examining the relationship between the dogs’ scars with aggression towards other dogs. Scar and wound data were tallied in three body zones where dogfighting injuries tend to be concentrated. Dog aggression was assessed using a model dog and a friendly stimulus dog in a standardized behavior evaluation. Scarring and dog aggression were significantly related, more strongly among male (Fisher’s Exact p < 0.001) than female dogs (Fisher’s Exact p = 0.05). Ten or more scars in the three body zones was a reasonable threshold with which to classify a dog as high risk for dog aggression: 82% of males and 60% of females with such scarring displayed dog aggression. However, because many unscarred dogs were dog aggressive while some highly scarred dogs were not, we recommend collecting behavioral information to supplement scar counts when making disposition decisions about dogs seized in dogfighting investigations.
Highlights
Organized dogfighting is rampant in many parts of the United States even though it is a felony offense in all 50 States
Dogs that have been pitted against other dogs typically display scars due to the wounds caused by the teeth of their opponent
When classifying recent wounds separately from healed scars in these body zones, we found the proportion showing dog-directed aggression ranged from 29% among those dogs with neither wounds nor scars, to 62%
Summary
Organized dogfighting is rampant in many parts of the United States even though it is a felony offense in all 50 States. Dogs that have been pitted against other dogs typically display scars due to the wounds caused by the teeth of their opponent. The scarring associated with organized dog fights is primarily concentrated on the front legs, head, and muzzle. This is a different pattern of injury than that sustained in spontaneous, non-organized fights between dogs, as documented in an earlier study [4]. This is because dogs in organized fights face each other while fighting. While fighting dogs are selected and trained to cause injury to their opponent, non-organized fighting amongst dogs is more likely to consist of ritualized displays and non-injurious biting [5]. Any injuries that do occur in a spontaneous fights among dogs of the same sex and of similar size are primarily located on the pinnae (ears), dorsal and lateral neck, and front legs— to a lesser extent than in an organized fight [4]
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