"Q. What Happens to Dogs Who Are Seized From Dog Fight Operations? Can They Be Rehabilitated?
Dogs from professional fighters have been bred and trained to inflict injuries on other dogs, so they can be difficult to house and care for safely. They are usually very friendly to people—they've been bred for this trait so that they can be easily handled during fights—but, unfortunately, these dogs can be extremely dangerous to other dogs. That is why the ASPCA recommends that all dogs seized from fighting raids be assessed by professional behaviorists.
Each dog should undergo a standardized evaluation that is designed to gauge the dog's reaction to a range of experiences common to most companion dogs, including being handled by a stranger, playing with people and toys, having a bowl of food and a chew bone taken away, meeting a doll that looks and sounds like a child and meeting other dogs. In some cases, dogs that demonstrate mild to moderate levels of aggression or fear may be candidates for rehabilitation if such resources are available. Concerns about liability, public safety and the animal's well-being mean that dogs exhibiting extreme fear or severe aggression toward people or other dogs are not adoptable and often have to be euthanized.
All dogs from fighting raids that are placed in foster or adoptive homes must be carefully monitored over the long term because we still don't know how likely these dogs are to develop aggressive behavior in the future.
Confiscated fighting dogs are also at high risk of being stolen from shelters, foster care or other placements and returned to the fight trade. Therefore, it is especially important for shelters to put solid security measures in place while housing fighting dogs, to spay and neuter dogs who are adopted out, and to educate foster groups and adopters about why it is best not to disclose the identity of these dogs to their friends and acquaintances."
Cited by: http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/dog-fighting/dog-fighting-faq.aspxCopyright © 2009. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). All Rights Reserved.
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