How bad is dogfighting and/or dog theft in the Austin area? (Center: house, neighborhood)

[johncronejr]

I have read that it was pretty bad in the Bastrop area, but would like some input from folks who have lived in the Austin area for some time.

[achtungpv]

Dunno about dog fighting but there's more pit bulls per capita than any place I've ever been.

[love roses]

I really haven't heard that much about it. Maybe a few busts but not sure about where.

[twange]

Originally Posted by achtungpv

Dunno about dog fighting but there's more pit bulls per capita than any place I've ever been.

I've made this statement a few times and got lambasted for it...you know, the typical comment about how they're really sweet, etc...whatever. I still see a disproportionate amount of them and can't help thinking that people get them for their perceived "bad-*ssness" and these are usually the kind of ignorant owners that have dangerous dogs that give the breed a bad name. I have met some folks that rescue them and they told me straight up, that they would NEVER trust them around other dogs, even though they're fine with people.

It's really tragic, since the breed does have a lot of positive qualities. Hell, Petey from "The Little Rascals" was a pit bull

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

I don't remember hearing of any dog fighting inside the city limits of Austin, But I do hear of it occasionally in Bastrop area. If I'm not mistaken, the dogfighting in Bastrop happens via the same person, or via a very small and same group of people. That's probably why you hear so much more of it coming from Bastrop than just about anywhere else in the metro area.

[verybadgnome]

From what I have seen cockfighting is more prevalent:

Bastrop cockfighting case demonstrates difficulty of prosecution | www.statesman.com

Thankfully it is still illegal despite cries of "it's part of our culture."

[RunninJT]

My pitt and dog fighting experiences in Austin, long winded of course:

Several years ago I was going to the shelters and looking to adopt, this was back before they stopped being no-kill shelters mind you. Both of the main shelters in Austin (SPCA, Kennel on town lake) were filled mostly with pit bulls and pit bull mixes and they said it had been that way for a long time. I ended up with a older female pitbull rescued from the street and had been at the shelter for close to six months when I adopted her (they were calling each other and cheering they had finally gotten her a home). They were an extremely popular dog for a short time but the people adopting them had 0 interest in getting them fixed. When they ended up with puppies those puppies ended up on the streets making more puppies until they filled the shelters with them.

In my neighborhood (not too far from Rundberg) we have had multiple incidents that APD says points to a dog fighting ring in the area. Namely bait dogs left dead or dying in an empty field. When it happens the neighborhood gets all worked up and starts demanding a witch hunt. But nothing ever comes of it. Closer to Rundberg I see a lot of what we used to call "reservation dogs", dogs emaciated and wandering around, some even on a leash and looking like they have been on the for a while. Every now and then one wanders far enough north onto our street and causes a disturbance or panic. The last bait dog was found about two months ago, a pittbull puppy with one eye chewed out. Died at the shelter shortly after they found it.

The only fight ring I am fairly certain of is what I believe to be a cockfighting (wonder if the filters is going to get that) ring on middlefiskville. Old, OOOOOLLLD house with an interesting decoration of two roosters squaring off in the front.

Now I have two pitbulls (mutts probably), the last one I got about 4 years ago and once again the shelter had mostly pitts/mixes. The old girl is going on 12 years old, stereotypical of course loves kids and people and hates other dogs. Never was able to completely break her of that but now at least she doesnt charge other animals at the first provocation, just whines and growls a lot. The younger male seems more hound than Pitt, wants to make friends with every dog he meets and has no problem being submissive. Thank god too because I can at least take him to the dog park. He's killed about 6 birds and 10 squirrels though, frickin murder machine.

[centralaustinite]

Regarding dog theft -- it happens but it is declining. In part perhaps because the City of Austin will microchip -- for free -- the dog or cat of any Travis County resident (7 days a week between 11 and 7 at the Austin Animal Center on Levander Loop). All dogs from rescue groups or the shelter are also microchipped.

[ScoPro]

I think accessory dogs are a scourge.

[eirenecat]

I used to live near Highland Mall, in the Highland neighborhood off Denson/Hammack. My next-door neighbor was involved in dogfighting (without going into graphic detail, trust me when I say this was definitely a thing) but I could not figure out where she was taking the dogs for the actual "official" fights.

She liked to chain her bait dogs to my fence and then let her fighting dogs practice. This happened when I was home repeatedly, and it was one of the most horrible things I have ever had to listen to or see. I called animal control and the cops on her repeatedly, but they told me that unless they actually saw her doing this themselves they could not do anything. I took video through my fence; I got nowhere. After a year of this, in the six months before I moved I began dognapping her bait dogs and taking them to Town Lake myself. I figured even being euthanized was better than what was happening to them next door.