Why Prohibition of Dogfighting Necessary

Name
Course
Instructor
Due Date
Dogfighting
Despite animal cruelty and abuse and being prohibited, dogfighting is still an ongoing issue that is mostly underground. It still poses challenges to preventing animal abuse. Sometimes, there is the selective breeding of dogs for fighting, and many people bet on the dogfighting “tournaments.” While some may argue that dog fights are harmless entertainment, the practice is a form of animal abuse that leaves some animals severely injured. Furthermore, dog owners are not always keen to maintain animal welfare during breeding, fighting, and after fights. There are places where cockfights and dog fights have been practiced over time, but now, there is recognition that there is a need to protect animals. Dogfighting is an example of speciesism where there is discrimination against nonhuman animals, and animals are considered less important than humans. Dogfighting is illegal and a form of animal cruelty and abuse that often leaves dogs hurt and at times dead and there is a need to prevent dog fighting activities to improve their welfare.
Speciesism
Singer (35) proposed the idea of speciesism, where there is a bias towards one’s species and interests and is most apparent when people provide more consideration to follow humans and not the nonhuman animals. In his defense against animal discrimination, Singer argued that animals should get similar rights to human beings and be treated equally. If there was no prejudice or bias against dogs, then it is unlikely that people would continue promoting and supporting the practice of dogfighting. Speciesism is opposed to the discrimination of nonhuman animals and unfavorable differential treatment.
Human beings have superior cognition than nonhuman animals, but this does not mean that the interests of human beings should be prioritized over that of animals. In a just society, there is an emphasis on equality and not exploiting the vulnerable. Yet, there are dogfighting activities that reflect how people normalize exploitation if they benefit. Speciesism is one of the reasons as to why people may be indifferent to the conditions of dogs in dogfighting activities. Besides animal abuse, being an indicator of violent tendencies, people are unwilling when there is a normalization of animal abuse, so dogfighting activities are likely tolerated. Furthermore, animal abuse reflects a lack of empathy, altruism, and the failure to recognize the need to protect animals against abuse.
Animal abuse dehumanizes human beings and makes nonhuman animals invisible, partlye because humans favor themselves over the non human animals. Yet, animals are worthy of being treated right and need protection from exploitation and abuse. Laws against animal abuse promote animal welfare but only focus on punishing what is considered abusive treatment without addressing the root causes of the practice of animal fighting. For example, dogs show emotions depending on how they are treated, such that if treated aggressively and violently, they tend to show fear in the presence of the perpetrator. The dogs should be treated with respect and care, but the dogfighting practice ignores the need for protecting animal welfare for the selfish gains of human beings.
Human beings exploit nonhuman animals for various purposes, and dogfighting is a cruel practice that needs to be stopped to protect dogs. The animal rights movement has drawn attention to dogfighting as a reflection of speciesism, where some ignore animal rights and welfare. Dogfighting ventures are mainly organized, and they benefit a few people, such as the owners and gamblers, and there are no concerns about nonhuman animals’ welfare and interests. Trained fighting dogs also tend to have more severe injuries than spontaneous fights between dogs that are infrequent. Different dog breeds are used in organized dogfighting, but dogfighting is a blood sport where the most aggressive dog breeds are preferred, such as the pit bull terrier.
Laws on dogfighting are not fully effective
Laws prohibit organized dogfighting activities focusing on animal welfare and avoiding abuse, but such dogs are often neglected. Dogs in fighting activities often get inadequate veterinary and preventive health care services. For instance, such dogs are at higher risk of Babesia gibsoni infection, a type of tick-borne and hemolytic anemia (Cooke et al. 232). Furthermore, there is a higher risk of injuries and scarring, for dogs, with most scars linked to biting, and the most aggressive dogs, such as pit bulls, inflict and get more injuries on average (Miller et al. 2). Fighting dogs also have more spontaneous wounds and injuries, but there is also little oversight to improving the animals’ welfare involved in illegal dogfighting activities. Vulnerable and hurt animals are no longer beneficial to their owners, and the owners only look out for their interests. 
The prohibition of animal abuse and the cruel tradition is necessary more than ever before when people understand the dangers of animal abuse through dog fights. Furthermore, the set of values that has traditionally surrounded dogfighting relating to gambling is unsustainable in a society that values peace, equality, and animal protection. Singer (20) pointed he would prefer that pet animals are “treated as the independent sentient beings that they are, and not as a means to human ends.” In extreme cases, dogs die after suffering injuries, yet those involved in dog fighting are unbothered by the level of injuries and deaths linked to the practice. Some support dog fights under the guide of tradition, but dog fights continue because of people profiting through gambling.
Dogfighting has persisted as some choose to continue with animal fighting even when they know about its negative impact. Different countries and states have adopted laws prohibiting animal fighting as it is a form of animal abuse, even in societies where this has been a tradition for generations. However, laws prohibit and regulate the treatment of nonhuman animals. In contrast, animal welfare is an ethical and moral position, and both laws and animal welfare are essential to prevent animal abuse. There have been successful initiatives to reduce animal suffering targeting meat industries, but reducing suffering is not enough to protect any form of animal abuse and ex...