A group affiliated with Milwaukee’s animal control is holding a vigil to remember a victim of dogfighting. On November 19th, a MADACC animal control office responded to a report of a dog stuck in a lagoon at a city park.
“She (the dog) actually got to the edge, was trying survive and get her way out,” says Jill Brown of Battle against Dogfighting (BAD)/Friends of MADACC.
It was evident the dog had been taken to the lagoon to be drowned. The events proved to be too much for the pitbull resulting in violent seizures. The dog, “Lucy” had to be euthanized. It was determined by Lucy’s scarring, both fresh and old, that she had been a long time “bait” dog which are canines that don’t fight but are used to train other fighting dogs.
Lucy had been micro chipped and traced back to a previous owner, who had given her away on Craiglist years ago.
Brown suggests not advertising on classifieds “free to a good home” because it can provide an easy way for people who do not have the pet’s best interest in mind to obtain an animal at no cost. In rehoming, she says contact animal control, the humane society or rescue groups.
Organizers hope the vigil will bring awareness to the reality that dogfighting exists in Milwaukee. Brown says these dogfights are epicenters of activities involving drugs, guns and gangs. She says kids are often watching the events, desensitizing them to violence.
The vigil will be held tonight at the site where Lucy was found, the lagoon at Washington Park.