Star's indictment shines spotlight on blood sport

The pit bull looked like it had been battling for his life when he was found in March at a home on Chaseville Street, off West Navy Boulevard in Pensacola.He was bloodied. His ears had been nearly torn from his head. He could barely stand.A deputy and an animal control officer concluded the 44-pound animal had been in a dogfight.Dogfighting has been going on here for years. Nineteen cases have been referred to prosecutors since 1990.The national spotlight was cast on the illegal sport last week when Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was indicted on dogfighting charges.It's been front-page news and talked about on sports radio and ESPN about as much as Barry Bonds' pursuit of sports' greatest record � Hank Aaron's 755 home runs.Vick, who is scheduled to be arraigned today in Richmond, Va., is alleged to have participated in high-stakes, organized dogfighting.While there's nothing to suggest the same type of dogfighting is going here, it could be, law officers said."This kind of thing goes on in rural areas, behind fences and out in areas where it can't be seen," said Jim Hall, an Escambia County sheriff's investigator. "There is the possibility a lot of it is going on, and it is not seen and not reported."In neighboring Baldwin County, Ala., the Sheriff's Office hasn't investigated a dogfighting case in at least a year, said Capt. Steve Arthur, who oversees investigations.But the captain said he is not naive enough to think it's not going on. While growing up in the South, he said, he often heard stories of animal fighting, including with dogs.Two dogfighting cases are pending in Escambia County:n Enrikue Dixon, 18, of Pensacola was arrested in connection with the dog found on Chaseville Street and also is suspected of abusing another dog. He is charged with two counts of animal cruelty and one count of fighting or baiting dogs.n Robrico Newberry, 18, of Pensacola is charged with five counts of animal cruelty and five counts of fighting or baiting dogs. He was arrested in May after a deputy found seven pit bulls on North G Street. Five of the dogs had scars and are believed to have been involved in fighting.Some dogfights are just impromptu street battles.Others are loosely organized backyard brawls.The ultimate is the professional-level bout. Contracts are signed. Dogs train for months. And bets are made.Fighting dogs are put through grueling training, said Laura Bevan, director of the Southeast region office of the Humane Society of the United States.n They are made to run on treadmills and swim in water tanks for hours.n They are put on specific diets and given vitamin supplements.n They maul rabbits, cats and puppies and fight against dogs of equal or lesser ability.Pit bulls are often the dog of choice for the fights, which sometimes take place in pits.Fights can last an hour or longer. The dog that loses � if it survives � often later dies of its injuries or at its owner's hands, Bevan said."It's considered an embarrassment if a dog refuses to fight or jumps out of a pit," she said. "It's pretty much killed on the spot."Dogs that win five fights are considered grand champions and are retired from fighting. A grand champion can be worth $50,000. Its puppies can be worth $5,000 to $10,000 each.Dogfighters used to be braggadocios about the illegal sport, and Web sites with dogfighting chat rooms once were prevalent, Bevan said. When law enforcement agencies began cracking down on dogfighting years ago, it went underground, she said.Bevan hopes the Vick case will reinvigorate law enforcement's interest in dogfighting."Michael Vick is just the tip of the iceberg," she said. "He's not alone. There's bigger fish than he."Law enforcement investigates complaints of animal cruelty just as vigorously as any other crime, but dogfighting cases aren't easy to prove, Hall said."Your best witness doesn't talk," he said.