Dog Fight

In the U. S. men can fight men in public, but the law decrees that it is cruel for them to match their dogs or chickens.

In a dim one-story garage in St. Louis, Mo. one afternoon last week, ten men gathered to watch a fight-to-death between two brindle American pit bulldogs--four laborers, a streetcar conductor, two merchants, three smartly dressed gentlemen. In the centre of the garage, into which rain dripped through the leaky roof, was a crude boxlike arena, 12 ft. square, with an old piece of canvas on the floor. A dirty white blanket was spread on an oil drum, to receive the dead body of the loser. A bucket and sponge were ready to lave the winner's wounds.

As the owners prepared their dogs, Arnold M. Amundsen, blond, grey-eyed managing director of Missouri's Humane Society, walked into the garage, and with him an agent of the society, Foye Thompson. Three weeks before, Director Amundsen had received an anonymous telephone call, telling him that in this garage a caged cat was daily put before a bulldog to irritate it. Director Amundsen had investigated, learned the date of the dog fight. He and Agent Thompson, under false names, were fraternally received in the garage. The promoters then passed a hat "to heal the winner." About $9 was gathered.

The owners lifted their dogs into the ring and "pitted" them, rousing them to snarling fury by holding them just out of reach of each other. Finally they let them go. The lighter dog, "Red," a natural fighter, closed in fast, grabbed his older opponent by the throat, spun him, slapped him viciously to the mat, and lunged his weight on him. This Red did again & again, to the rising excitement of the spectators, who shrieked "Kill 'im Red!" "Tear 'im apart!"

Humane but human, Director Amundsen watched 15 minutes before he nudged Foye Thompson, who strolled to a window, signaled four detectives waiting outside. With a rush, Amundsen & men separated the dogs and arrested all present. The garage operator and dog owners were liable under State law to $1,100 fine or a year in jail or both; the watchers were released on bond. At week's end, after tender care by Missouri Humane Society's Veterinarian Carl Brenner, both dogs were in fine fettle, but were being held for probable asphyxiation--that they might never have to fight again.

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