Over the past two years, ARM investigators have been embedding themselves into the ‘outdated’ southern blood sport of Hog Dog rodeos and are continuing efforts in closing down several operations in Florida and the southern states of the US.
Also perceived as a wholesome ’family event,’ spectators gather around circular pens where hogs are trapped in with aggressive pit bulls and other large beed dogs. The dogs are trained to attack, rip apart and eventually kill the pigs. Whilst the hogs release blood curdling screams from being mauled, people cheer on the ‘games’, popcorn and soda in hand and bet on how long the pig survives and judge how gruesome the kill is.
To prevent any injury to the dog during the bloody event, the hogs tusks are often broken off with bolt cutters, hammers or steel pipes prior to the fight, rendering the victim completely defenseless.
The hogs suffer serious injuries such as ripped haunches, ruptured scrotums, mangled snouts and sometimes have their ears completely ripped off whilst they are still alive. If not killed right away, the hogs die soon after due to exhaustion, stress and severe injuries and blood loss.
Although this sadistic practice is deemed illegal, many fights are held in deep rural areas where local authorities have little or no knowledge of its operations. Hog dog rodeos are most common in the South and Midwest regions of USA.
ARM’s pending undercover investigations will soon be exposing these criminal acts of animal cruelty in the efforts to not only eliminate and prosecute ringleaders and participants but to cease the existence of these rodeos altogether