Motor industry union hosts Pain charity drive against dogfighting

Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA), the trade union for employees in the retail motor industry, is taking a stand against dogfighting by hosting its annual Pets and Animals in Need (PAIN) drive.

This event will take place at Fred and Martie’s Soup Kitchen in Claremont, Johannesburg, on 26 October 2024. Those attending the gathering will be helped in sterilising their pets and taught how to efficiently care for them. 

“MISA needs your help to make this project for furry friends a huge success and will welcome the following donations: cat food (wet/dry), dog food (wet/dry), collars/leashes, chew toys and blankets, [and] cash donations are also welcome,” said the association in a statement.

ALSO READ: No evidence of dogfighting in east informal settlement

Dogfighting: ‘Communities must be educated’

The National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) defines dogfighting as “the premeditation and cruel practice of encouraging and inciting two dogs to attack and fight each other until one of the dogs is either killed or is too injured and exhausted to continue fighting.”

This criminal activity is ubiquitous in both urban and rural communities in South Africa. Dogs abused in this violent form of entertainment sustain severe injuries if they do not die in the process.

Examples of wounds they suffer include crushed and broken bones, torn flesh, extensive punctures, ripped muscles, broken teeth, acute bruising and internal injuries. 

“Communities must be educated about how cruel and violent dogfighting is and the implications if they are caught. Dogfighting is illegal in terms of the Animals Protection Act and reports can be made anonymously. The theft of dogs and dogfighting go hand-in-hand,” says Martlé Keyter, MISA’s Chief Executive Officer of Operations. 

ALSO READ: Court sentences woman for animal cruelty related to dog fighting

The dogs forced to participate in this underground activity are maltreated, as they are often caged or fettered and raised in deficient living conditions. 

A significant number of dogs die due to aforementioned injuries, blood loss, shock, dehydration, exhaustion, and infection.

Illegal gambling and dog breeding

Furthermore, dogfighting is a participatory figure of an illegal subculture of gambling and dog breeding.

Keyter says, “The sad reality is that it is the poor of the poorest using dogs for illegal gambling in the hope of making a few bucks to survive. Unfortunately, law enforcement for these crimes is shockingly low due to the lack of manpower and resources.”

NOW READ: Dog-fight pup recovering well