Illegal dog fighting thriving

[Anchor]

Illegal dog fighting, where bets are placed, is rampant.

Animal abuse is being carried out, including using cats to train dogs for fighting.

Reporter Jeon Hyung-seo has the story.

[Report]

[“Get it! That’s right! Grab it and hit that XXX! Turn your body! Hit it!”]

Dozens of people are consumed in dog fighting gambling late at night.

There are also people going around asking for bets.

[Dog fighting participant/voice altered: “We get paid after we set up the fight. From 300,000 won to 500,000 won... it keeps going up. Usually, it’s between 10 million won and 30 million won per game.”]

The dogs used for fighting are aggressive breeds like pit bull terriers.

Before going into a fight, they are tied up and made to run until they are exhausted,

[“Meow~ Meow!”]

Live cats are used to stimulate their aggression.

The breeding facility where the dogs are trained is filled with a terrible smell and is in a filthy condition.

Dogs are left abandoned in a dilapidated building with exposed ceilings that cannot even block the rain, without water or food bowls.

They are being forced to fight in such poor conditions.

[Yoon Dong-seon/'Animal Partner' team leader: “Just because a pit bull terrier wins once doesn’t mean it survives. Eventually, it goes through two, three, or four matches until it dies….”]

Reported as a general breeding facility, they have been secretly using the facility as a dog fighting training ground.

[Busan Gijang-gun Office official/voice altered: “Since we haven’t directly witnessed dog fighting, it’s somewhat of a suspicious circumstance. Rather than taking legal administrative action….”]

Dog fighting gambling is clearly illegal, but dog fighting training facilities are operating in a legal gray area amid animal abuse controversies.

This is KBS News, Jeon Hyung-seo.