Dog fighting is barbarous, and the alleged ties of a Platte County resident to this bloody practice is disheartening.
Pete Davis Jr., of Kansas City North, is accused in federal court of participating in a large-scale dog fighting operation. He was arrested recently at a dogfight in Texas. Federal prosecutors have charged him with transporting dogs in interstate commerce for the purpose of animal fighting. Authorities said Davis and another man owned more than 60 pit bulls. Most were kept at a farm in northwest Missouri, but some were at a Platte County residence.
A story in The Kansas City Star recently outlined long-time complaints by neighbors about Davis’ dogs. One woman had her two small pet dogs attacked and almost killed by one pit bull on the loose.
The federal court case will determine the guilt or innocence regarding the recent allegations against Davis.
What is perplexing to me, though, is that there is an audience and supporters for dog fighting that makes it profitable for anyone to abuse dogs in such a manner. Undoubtedly, gambling is involved in these events. Dog trainers are making money. So are some participants. That they delight and profit in blood and viciousness is hard for me to fathom.
Most of us have witnessed dogs fighting. I’ve been on a handful of hunting trips where one dog took a dislike to another and a fight broke out. Something savage is released in normally-benign canines, often loving pets. The distance between the wild wolf and the pet Fido can seem pretty short when dogs are angry and frightened and fighting as if to the death.
These spontaneous dog fights are scary and very unpleasant. There can be blood, sometimes lots. But it’s the viciousness and savage nature on display that is most frightening.