Bait dog labelling - an example
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When we proposed that “bait dogs” might not be as common as people think, you’d assume that would be good news!! Ah, but this wasn’t our first rodeo. We were prepared for some pushback. It’s a sensitive topic and if people are invested in this idea (or feel they have personal experience that contradicts our view), they get defensive. Some were defensive enough to send us threats and accuse us of being a cover for some kind of nefarious organization.
It’s not fun to start these conversations. Let me tell you why we do it.
It’s for dogs like Diablo.
Diablo was badly attacked by another dog, in known circumstances that were transparent to his owner and rescuers. He was surrendered to rescue and required multiple surgeries. The rescue put out a request for fundraising help. They received some support.
But then you scroll down the comment section. “Bait dog!”. “Dog fighting!”. “These injuries could only have come from dog fighting”. “How is this not being investigated?”.
Instead of focusing on his treatment and recovery, the rescue is being forced to defend their actions and explain the circumstances over and over. Instead of helping or simply wishing him a speedy recovery, people are doing forensic investigations via keyboard. Why? When presented with a reasonable explanation from a credible source, why do people insist on jumping to this awful explanation?
We are not a shill for dog fighters. We are not trying to deny that abuse exists. We are trying to point out that the vast majority of “bait dog” claims are unsubstantiated, and that we are doing no good by jumping to conclusions every time an animal walks into a shelter with bite wounds.
It hurts the dog, because we are so distracted by its imagined history we can’t focus on the animal in front of us. It hurts advocacy efforts, because it tells people that dog fighting rings and aggressive, fighting dogs are everywhere - and guess what? That fuels BSL.
Please help us have sensible, respectful discussions about rescued dogs.
Update: Diablo was taken in by Ottawa Dog Rescue and funds were successfully raised to provide him with all the care he needed.
Photo: Ottawa Dog Rescue.
