Poor pitties..Pics

[PitBullie09]

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Dog fighting makes comeback in Afghanistan
Utusan Express, 3 Oct 2002
AFGHAN men watching the dogs fighting on a Kabul street, Sept 22. - Reuterspix.

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Dog fighting makes comeback in Afghanistan
Utusan Express, 3 Oct 2002
AFGHAN men watching the dogs fighting on a Kabul street, Sept 22. - Reuterspix.

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KANDAHAR (Afghanistan) - Hundreds of people, squatting on a dusty patch of land just outside the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, rise to cheer as one of the best fighters in town enters the arena.

``Here comes the lion!'' the crowd chants and claps as the large brown dog is led into the arena straining at his leash.

Bets are placed and the fight begins.

Fighting with dogs, partridges and cocks, has made a big comeback in Afghanistan this year since the fall of the hardline Taliban rulers.

The Taliban banned traditional Afghan past-times like animal and bird fighting to stamp out betting, which is prohibited in Islam.

Animal fighting is also banned across much of the West but ethical questions about the welfare of animal fighters hardly raise an eyebrow in Afghanistan now.

Gul Mohammad groomed his dog for five years hoping that Saturday mornings like this would one day return.

``For all these years, I kept my dog inside my house,'' he said. ``Despite my poverty, I used to feed him seven pieces of bread a day and some meat in the hope that one day I could take him for fighting.''

In Kandahar, the former stronghold of the Taliban, residents say 200 to 300 dogs are brought every week to fights, with participants betting heavily on the results.

For this dirt poor country, dog fighting is big business.

Most dogs are brought from neighbouring Turkmenistan, hundreds of miles to the north. A well-groomed and trained animal can cost anything up to 180 million afghanis (US$3,800).

Several shops selling fighting birds have re-opened in Kandahar's Herat Bazar.

``There has been a considerable increase in the sale of partridges, fighting cocks and pigeons,'' said Abdul Baqi, who runs a pet shop. ``People like dog and partridge fighting and will go to any extent to buy a good dog or partridge.''

Partridges cost between 35,000 and 100,000 afghanis (US$0.75-US$2.10), he says, adding that he earns up to one million afghanis a day from the business.

Dogs are much more expensive because they need more food and require costly food like butter oil and meat, depending on the passion and pocket of the owner.

The fighting dogs wear ornaments and expensive hand-made leashes when they appear for the contest. The dogs are sometimes seriously injured and whichever runs away from the field is the loser.

As the fight begins, Mohammad's dog is soon on the offensive, to the delight of his supporters in the crowd.

But then the atmosphere turns sour. The dog bites his opponent's ear but immediately releases his grip. Mohammad suspects foul play.

``He's put chilli powder on his dog!'' he shouts, to vehement denials from his rival.

The fight is adjourned. Mohammad cleans the mouth of his dog with a white piece of cloth in the hope of finding a trace of red chilli powder.

Nothing is found, but then a young boy is asked to smell the other dog's coat, and reports a hint of chilli.

The duel ends with both sides shouting at each other. Afghans may be be short of money but they are not short of passion

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That is VERY Sick.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...UTF-8%26sa%3DG

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