ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) -
In the FOX Files, Investigator Chris Hayes looks at how federal raids may do little to stop dog fighting. People who use Pit Bulls for dog fighting, often begin tainting them to fight as babies. A street corner breeder in St. Louis says the fighting starts when they're about as big as your fist. Wilbert Tilson breeds Pit Bulls on his front lawn in north St. Louis. He says a dog fight could happen at any time.
Tilson said, "I might have them sitting out here on the front and somebody else might walk by with a pit bull and say 'Will they bite?' - 'Is she a fighter?' and I'd probably say 'Yeah, she's got teeth dude, don't she?" He might bring 'em up there a little bit, but we don't - I don't ever fight em like that because i don't like them to get all bruised up and be looking bad."
He said that's typical: pressure to start a dog fight. But he said it's not the only reason people want the dogs.
"Mostly everybody's going to want to see if their dog is tough and want to fight it with another dog. But most likely they raise them up to be good dogs and good house pets."
But Tilson also explained the strong culture of dog fighting in some places around St. Louis.
"The thrill of seeing them fight, Pit Bull terrier. [Reporter] Have you ever wanted to see that? [Tilson] Hahaha, well, over the period of years of me coming up I seen pit bulls have fights and what not. I mean, it's exciting, I ain't going to lie, but uh, it's not the right thing to do, I wouldn't say that."
But he said some will train their dogs just to go for blood. He held up a young puppy, not much bigger than his hand, when he said "They make them fight at this age too, just to make them tough when they get big."
He admits he does not know what's in the future for the cage of puppies on his front lawn.
"I just breed them and sell them so I can't really tell what they do to them, how they treat them and how they bring them up."
That infuriates dog rescue groups. Ledy Vancavage of Best Friends said, "The majority of their puppies, right now, are going to end up in the freezer and that's unconscionable."
Vankavage, who owns a former fighter, added, "I mean basically we need people to stop thinking of these dogs as you know a commodity."
Nearly 500 dogs will need homes after the FBI dog fighting raids this summer. Dogs like "Faye" whose lips ripped off in her battles. Gale Frey of "Mutts N Stuff" also has dogs from previous dog fighting rings, like one broken up in Stoddard County, where her dog "Phoenix" came from.
Frey talked about Phoenix. "His jaw is broken in 3 places. He's blind from blunt force trauma and they fought him the whole time, even blind."
She named him Phoenix to symbolize his rise from the ashes. "All he knew in the pits was fight or die. Now in his years in being out here, his two years of being out here, he has learned that is not the same. He doesn't have to do that now."
Frey gives him what he should have had from the beginning -- a giant dog house, she calls 'Phoenix's cottage. It looks and feels like a home -- with heating and air -- and a comfortable bed. She dreams of doing it for lots of former fighters -- like "Smiley King" -- who has scars beyond what you can see.
She said, "The first time he heard the television and my husband cheering on the Rams (that was scary), he hit the floor. He thought something happened. He thought the dog fight was going to start."
What surprises people the most about these ex-fighters? Frey says they are not dangerous to people. "They do not snap on humans. If they ever showed any type of human aggression they were killed instantly."
So the question isn't whether the dogs are capable of living a normal life, it's whether enough people will believe that and take them in. That's getting harder as towns pass laws banning specific breeds. Frey believes that only hurts those who obey the law.
Then there are those puppies that the breeder himself admitted could end up as loving pets or become the most horrific dog fighters yet.
Tilson said, "I might have them sitting out here on the front and somebody else might walk by with a pit bull and say 'Will they bite?' - 'Is she a fighter?' and I'd probably say 'Yeah, she's got teeth dude, don't she?" He might bring 'em up there a little bit, but we don't - I don't ever fight em like that because i don't like them to get all bruised up and be looking bad."
He said that's typical: pressure to start a dog fight. But he said it's not the only reason people want the dogs.
"Mostly everybody's going to want to see if their dog is tough and want to fight it with another dog. But most likely they raise them up to be good dogs and good house pets."
But Tilson also explained the strong culture of dog fighting in some places around St. Louis.
"The thrill of seeing them fight, Pit Bull terrier. [Reporter] Have you ever wanted to see that? [Tilson] Hahaha, well, over the period of years of me coming up I seen pit bulls have fights and what not. I mean, it's exciting, I ain't going to lie, but uh, it's not the right thing to do, I wouldn't say that."
But he said some will train their dogs just to go for blood. He held up a young puppy, not much bigger than his hand, when he said "They make them fight at this age too, just to make them tough when they get big."
He admits he does not know what's in the future for the cage of puppies on his front lawn.
"I just breed them and sell them so I can't really tell what they do to them, how they treat them and how they bring them up."
That infuriates dog rescue groups. Ledy Vancavage of Best Friends said, "The majority of their puppies, right now, are going to end up in the freezer and that's unconscionable."
Vankavage, who owns a former fighter, added, "I mean basically we need people to stop thinking of these dogs as you know a commodity."
Nearly 500 dogs will need homes after the FBI dog fighting raids this summer. Dogs like "Faye" whose lips ripped off in her battles. Gale Frey of "Mutts N Stuff" also has dogs from previous dog fighting rings, like one broken up in Stoddard County, where her dog "Phoenix" came from.
Frey talked about Phoenix. "His jaw is broken in 3 places. He's blind from blunt force trauma and they fought him the whole time, even blind."
She named him Phoenix to symbolize his rise from the ashes. "All he knew in the pits was fight or die. Now in his years in being out here, his two years of being out here, he has learned that is not the same. He doesn't have to do that now."
Frey gives him what he should have had from the beginning -- a giant dog house, she calls 'Phoenix's cottage. It looks and feels like a home -- with heating and air -- and a comfortable bed. She dreams of doing it for lots of former fighters -- like "Smiley King" -- who has scars beyond what you can see.
She said, "The first time he heard the television and my husband cheering on the Rams (that was scary), he hit the floor. He thought something happened. He thought the dog fight was going to start."
What surprises people the most about these ex-fighters? Frey says they are not dangerous to people. "They do not snap on humans. If they ever showed any type of human aggression they were killed instantly."
So the question isn't whether the dogs are capable of living a normal life, it's whether enough people will believe that and take them in. That's getting harder as towns pass laws banning specific breeds. Frey believes that only hurts those who obey the law.
Then there are those puppies that the breeder himself admitted could end up as loving pets or become the most horrific dog fighters yet.
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