January  2011

  Heartbreaking Cruelty Case Shows Brutality of Dog Fighting:

             Tough Action Needed Against Blood Sports in 2011                                                                          

The tragic story of a tormented dog - who was almost certainly used as a 'bait' dog by New Orleans area fighters - broke the hearts of local animal lovers this month. While dog fighting is synonymous with cruelty, the heinous injuries inflicted upon this particular dog were truly outrageous.  When local rescuer Phylisha Soleto found the innocent victim in New Orleans East, one of his feet was completely severed; his body was covered in bites and cuts. All of his teeth had been manually removed, and his jaw was dislocated from his face. The vet had no choice but to humanely euthanize the poor animal.  HSL offered a reward in the case and got the word out in the local media, in an attempt to get witnesses to come forward.  We also began mobilizing volunteers to pass out leaflets in neighborhoods where fighting is widely reported.  As we hope for new leads in this shocking case, we plan to initiate new anti-dog fighting strategies this year. The investigation of dog fighting has always been a core part of our organization's anti-cruelty work, and we are committed to building new alliances and strategies to combat this abuse.  Click here to see the coverage on WVUE television.