For years, many of us have waged a battle against the barbaric practice of dog fighting and in the past few years, the general public has taken notice of this growing epidemic of inhumane and unsportsmanlike underground economy. Recent events have pushed this practice into the forefront as even celebrity-status does not shield you from the eyes of the law.

The general public would like to believe this "sport" affects only a small financially-challenged segment of our population, but facts are, this has long reaching implications. One does not lay out $3,000 and above for a champion pit bull pup, train the dog, travel cross-country to compete for $30K (and above) purses with limited financial means and/or connections!

The general public forgets that this sport involves many other illegal and inhumane activities as well - procuring 'bait' dogs through various means, dog napping people's pets, drugs, etc. It's just not the pit bull breed that is being brutalized by this "sport" but any dog that is either 'gamey' to withstand a dog attack (even for only once) or 'feisty' enough and/or small enough to give the fighter-in-training "exercise".

We would like to believe that the trainers, owners and participants in the dog fighting industry live in some remote, backwoods location, spitting tobacco through a tooth-less grin. "J.B. Backwoods" is a figment of our imagination for these trainers, owners and spectators have learned marketing, PR, the Internet and other techniques to increase their incomes and feed their love of this "sport". Readily available are "how to" books, videos, magazines and so on... at a mouse-click away for anyone to purchase... or in our local communities for purchase.

You think not?... Gather my friends, and you shall hear.......

On July 30th, I searched for at least half an hour on the Amazon.com website for an email address to communicate with them directly about my outrage at their selling of dog fighting "how to" books and assorted other materials. Finally, unable to find one, I called the company directly, spoke to someone who was able to give me a valid email addressed, and immediately sent an email expressing my outrage at their practice.

It took a day, but I did receive a response on July 31st:

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"Censorship to not sell certain titles because the message is objectionable"? What about being against federal law to participate in this "sport"?

Because Amazon.com says they do not endorse any opinions does not excuse cashing in blood dollars in this "sport", readily supplying the blue prints for people to buy, train and fight dogs as the profits continue to roll into the cash registers (both offline and online).

By the way, if you believe we don't have this avenue available in our neighborhood community, try accessing the Borders website ( http://www.borders.com ) and you will clearly see it redirect itself over to the Amazon.com website. In fact, you can order books at Amazon.com and pick them up at a Borders store - the Borders website itselfsays "Teamed with Amazon.com".

I truly believe in free enterprise, but I no more want a bookstore selling dog fighting materials than I want a crack-house in my community, nor a store selling drug paraphernalia! Because you don't specifically sell the illegal items, by selling the associated ones, you are in fact supporting illegal activities in my humble opinion.

We're not discussing a small 'mom and pop enterprise' here. Amazon.com (by its selection) greatly affects our society's viewpoints and perspectives. What our kids see for sale believe it's OK to buy and absorb - because "if it wasn't, wouldn't the adults have removed it"?

And this is 'big business' - one only needs to browse through the Amazonpress releases on the website to see all the avenues in our lives they have expanded into.

Quoting from the company's fourth quarter press release:

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 1, 2007--Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced financial results for its fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2006. Operating cash flow was $702 million in 2006, compared with $733 million in 2005. ~~~ snippet ~~~ Amazon.com, Inc., (Nasdaq: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.

Source: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=957221&highlight=

"where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online"...

ANYTHING? What part of this don't I understand?

It is "OK" to buy articles that are needed to engage in an illegal activity such as dog fighting? An activity that is a federal crime and a felony? I see kids in the store all the time -- my daughter goes there to buy books -- and it's 'OK' to distribute and sell "anything"? What kind of message are we sending to our kids when they can simply read this stuff in the store, let alone buy it?

The Humane Society of the United States has now launched a campaign against Amazon.com - you can send a message directly to Amazon.com at this website yourself:

https://community.hsus.org/campaign/US_2007_amazon_fighting3

And as reported in today's Acorn online, (source: http://www.simivalleyacorn.com/news/2007/0810/Community/014.html ), U.S. Rep. U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R- Thousand Oaks) and U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Portland, Ore.) have introduced the Federal Dog Protection Act which would ban animal fighting and anything associated with it, such as training tools, videos and magazines.

Furthermore, this act would allow those who care for and house animals that have been rescued by federal agents to recoup their expenses. As our shelters are overwhelmed with pit bulls (being held for evidence purposes and otherwise) as other adoptable dogs are being euthanized because of space limitations, isn't it about time we as private citizens stood up and were counted in our outrage at how deeply this underground and illegal economy has permeated so many aspects of our lives (and eaten up our tax dollars???).

Our shelters are severly underbudgeted to take care of what they were designed for twenty years ago before the 'pit bull - dog fighting explosion' in the last ten, fifteen years. They can't keep up with the unwanted overpopulation problem as it is -- let alone housing the 'evidence' until a case comes to trial. Many of these dogs are not adoptable because they've been trained to be aggressive and in the end, most are euthanized... as other adoptable dogs can't 'find room at the inn'.

Finally, the Federal Dog Protection Act would allow private citizens to sue any person alleged to be in violation of the law. Violators of the Federal Dog Protection Act would face up to a five-year sentence and a $250,000 fine for each count.

Pick up your phone and pen, people! Get behind our U.S. Representative Gallegly and tell him we as a community and humane people want this act put into effect - not two, three years down the road, but NOW! Give my community 'how to' information on other subjects, but NOT the dog fighting industry!

How to contact U.S. Rep. Gallegly:

2829 Townsgate Road, Suite 315, Thousand Oaks, CA 91361-3018.
Phone: (805) 497-2224, (800) 423-0023, FAX (805) 497-0039