It’s hard to believe this stuff goes on, unfortunately it does.

HOUSTON - State officials said late Friday that they had begun dismantling one of the largest dogfighting rings in the country that night, arresting eight people and seizing 187 dogs used by a sophisticated network of bettors throughout eastern Texas. Investigators continued to search for suspects Saturday.

In all, 55 people were indicted after an undercover investigation that lasted 17 months. Officials said the network’s matches drew crowds of up to 100 people, who placed tens of thousands of dollars in wagers on a single fight.

Gamblers commonly placed bets as high as $500 to $1,000 on the matches. The fights took place weekly or twice a month, they were by invitation only. That’s one invitation I never want to receive.

An undercover investigation started after receiving a tip from someone in a different state. The investigators gathered evidence, even managing to video tape a few of the fights. Authorities stated that during raids to seize the animals, state troopers also found firearms, marijuana, cocaine and stolen property.

The indictments charged the defendants only with engaging in dogfights, a felony that carries up to two years in prison, or misdemeanor charges of being a spectator at a dogfight, which carries up to a year in jail.

This is a despicable crime and the laws need to be changed to reflect the severity of the crime, stricter punishments need to put into place.

At least a bite has been taken out of one more dogfighting ring.

Jenna  was found hurt and limping in an area notorious for dog fighting.  She was picked up by the Vero Beach, FL Humane Society who  have been desperately  trying to find her owners.

She was named “Jenna” by the staffers,  who have quickly gotten attached to her.

She is a Catahoula leopard hound mix found in the Fellsmere area limping, scarred and scared.

Now Vero Beach Humane Society officials are hoping to locate the veterinarian whose unique operation helped give this dog her day.

The pooch was found limping in an area notorious for dog fighting, officials said. But after reviewing X-rays, shelter veterinarian Dr. Elizabeth Bybee recognized the pooch had previously undergone extensive — and expensive — lifesaving surgery.

“The surgery would have cost her family several thousand dollars,” Bybee said. “It’s clear that someone, or some family, really loved her.”

The details of the operation are unique and details are not being released, to make sure she is returned to the rightful family.

Humane Society officials speculate the dog may have been stolen and then used as practice for the fighting dogs.

“She’s too gentle to have been used as a fighting dog but our fear is that she may have been used as what’s called a bait dog,” said Janet Winikoff, director of education at the Humane Society of Vero Beach.

It’s horrible, and sickening,  to think that she was dognapped to be used as bait. If anyone has information about Jenna, or can help the Humane Society reunite Jenna with her family  please call (772)388-3331, ext. 31.

In Riviera Beach, FL  Pit Bulls were taken from a home where suspected dog fight training was taking place.

A phone call about a dog in distress led officials to the home, Animal Care and Control were the first to respond.

At the house they found enough evidence to get a warrant for a full search.

Four pit bulls were taken from 446 West 14th street. Frank Huggins was arrested for a felony violation of animal fighting. The house belongs to his brother who could also face charges.

The dogs have multiple scars on their bodies and some had open wounds on their face and neck.

Deputies also removed a treadmill used to run dogs, weights, chains and needles. Investigators say the heavy weights are put on the dogs collars to strengthen them. They say there were other signs the dogs were being trained such as being individually tethered and their lean physique.

The training operation at Huggins house is considered to be an isolated incident.  However, officials are investigating to make sure it isn’t part of a larger ring.

* There was no pic with the article. The adorable girl above is Dogster member Vega, a rescue.

Lisa and I recently lost our cat, Moose, after 16 years.  We got her about five months after we got Bo because we thought he needed company when we were at work.

They got along great, running and playing together like the best of buds. When we got Copper, years later, she also fell in love with Moose.  She used to follow her everywhere and would actually lick her face.  I think Copper believes she’s a cat.

After Moose passed Lisa swore we would never get another cat.  No, not because we don’t love cats, but because Moose had a constipation issue for the last 13 years.  It was so bad that one of the chapters in Bo’s book, Unleashed: Memoirs Of A Man’s Best Friend (Kensington Books, Oct ‘09) is called Enema Of The State.

Last week all that changed after Lisa found a cat on our sister site, Catster, and fell in love with Sunshine. On Saturday we picked her up and when we got her home Copper looked like it was Christmas.  She was so excited that she was going to have a new kitty buddy.  Unfortunately, Sunshine had other ideas and poor Copper got a big swat on the nose.  I’m sure they’ll eventually work it out.

As I was reading the news this morning I came across an article on a study that was done by Israeli researchers on the relationship between cats and dogs.

Tel Aviv University researchers said they found two-thirds of the homeowners they surveyed reported a positive relationship between their cats and dogs.

“This is the first time anyone has done scientific research on pets living in the same home,” Joseph Terkel of the department of zoology at Tel Aviv University said in a statement. “It’s especially relevant to the one-third of Americans who own a pet and are thinking about adopting a second one of the opposite species.”

Approximately 200 pet owners were used in the study. After analyzing the data the researchers concluded that cats and dogs can live together peacefully. Although, it was found that there were better results when the cat is adopted first and both animals are young.

Hmmm…I should have read this about a week ago.   There is hope things might settle down in our house, and peace will resume,  because  according to Terkel “cats and dogs learn how to talk each others language–or read each others body cues.”

That does seem to be true,  right now that big swat to Copper’s nose is coming through loud and clear.

Any Dogsters that have a dog and cat give us a bark, or meow, to share your story.

This is a wonderful, and uplifting,  article on the trials and tribulations that go along with rehabilitating rescued fighting pit bulls.  A number of the dogs seized from Michael Vick’s, former football star, dogfighting camp in 2007 went to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary for rehabilitation.

Vick’s former fight dogs live in a facility within Best Friends called Dogtown, and according to Besmehn nearly all have made major improvements since they arrived, both physically and emotionally.

Tonight you can watch Dogtown,  on the National Geographic Channel, as it follows Cherry and Georgia, two of the surviving pit bulls.

Best Friends was criticized earlier this year when it took in the abused pooches.

“Definitely, there were groups that recommended that these dogs be euthanized, that they can’t be rehabbed,” Besmehn said. “For us, we’ve taken challenging dogs on a regular basis. We feel these dogs, at a minimum, deserve a chance. We’ve seen these dogs are doing really well with a little bit of patience. … They can make progress. It takes time.”

The full article is rather long but very inspiring and worth reading in full.   It shows that these dogs shouldn’t arbitrarily be put down for a choice one human made that sealed their fate.  Humans on the other hand…..

I want to thank Dogster member Renee for bringing us this information. Please keep this number with you at all times, it’s going in my cell phone, because you may potentially save a dog’s life.

This hot line was circulated about a month ago and I put it in my cell phone.

As we speak, some people are getting arrested with 15 dead Pit Bulls chained in their back yard, along with puppies.

Short explanation: A friend of mine called me to tell me her boyfriend, who is a Telephone Man, called her and told her what he saw in a back yard. She then called me. I gave her the DOGFIGHTING HOT LINE and she called…….within an hour’s time the people are getting arrested!

TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE STORY……but I thought you and others would like to know that the hot line worked/works!

DOGFIGHTING HOT LINE

• The Dogfighting Hot Line (1-877-847-4787) is sponsored by the HSUS.

• You can receive an award of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a dogfighter.

• All information is kept confidential; no one will know you’ve called.

The line is answered 24/7.