BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP APRIL 20 - APRIL 26, 2018 39
Photo courtesy of the NYPD
The NYPD and ASPCA are working to protect some of New
York City’s most vulnerable animals
ASPCA poll reveals dogfighting
goes unrecognized,
underreported in New York City
As part of a month-long campaign
to raise awareness
about dogfighting, the ASPCA®
(American Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals®) has released
the results of a poll measuring the
gap between New York City residents’
awareness and understanding of dogfighting
and its actual prevalence in
the New York City area.
The poll findings exposed that many
people do not realize how common
dogfighting truly is, may not be able
to recognize the signs, and are not
properly reporting this activity when
it’s suspected.
In coordination with the release of
the poll results, the ASPCA and NYPD
also shared a video urging the public
to report suspected dogfighting activity.
The video is part of a joint social
media campaign aimed at encouraging
New Yorkers to report animal cruelty
throughout the city’s five boroughs.
The poll, which was conducted in
March, 2018 by Edge Research, found
that:
• While the majority of those polled
say they would take some kind of
action if they suspected dogfighting,
fewer than a quarter (24 percent) are
very confident they would recognize
the signs of dogfighting if they saw
them in their community.
• Around 14 percent of New Yorkers
polled have ever suspected that
dogfighting was happening in their
community – higher than the national
response of eight percent.
• Yet less than half (47 percent)
of those New Yorkers reported it to
local authorities. Eleven percent did
nothing at all.
“Through our extensive work with
law enforcement agencies, including
the NYPD, we know that organized
dogfighting is taking place in every
type of community across the country,
causing unimaginable pain and
suffering for the animals involved,”
said Stacy Wolf, senior vice president
of ASPCA’s Anti-Cruelty Group. “By
familiarizing yourself with the signs
of dogfighting and committing to
reporting this type of activity, you
are helping us save the lives of these
voiceless victims and making New
York City a safer place for animals and
humans alike.”
ASPCA experts estimate that there
are tens of thousands of dog fighters
across the country brutally forcing
hundreds of thousands of dogs to
train, fight and suffer as part of a socalled
“blood sport.” Since the launch
of the ASPCA’s partnership with the
NYPD in 2014, more than 200 victims
of dogfighting have been rescued in
the New York City area.
The ASPCA’s month-long “Break the
Chain” campaign was established to
raise awareness about the prevalence
of dogfighting in the United States,
reveal little-known truths about the
blood sport, and encourage animal
lovers nationwide to act against this
brutal form of animal cruelty.
The ASPCA continues to tackle the
illegal underground world of dogfighting
rings through investigations, law
enforcement training, legislation,
advocacy and rehabilitation of dogs
seized during dogfighting raids. To
learn more about the signs of dogfighting
and what you can do to help,
visitaspca.org/breakthechain.
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