Death Row Dogs

Las Vegas, NV -- Animal shelters here and across the country are overwhelmed with unwanted, abused, and abandoned pets, a huge percentage of which are pit bulls. Back yard breeders have flooded southern Nevada with huge numbers of pit bulls, regarded by many as an inherently dangerous dog. Because of the sheer numbers, thousands of these animals end up as "death row dogs."

Pit bulls are usually portrayed as vicious, deadly killing machines, unstable and unpredictable. They've become the dog of choice for drug dealers and gang bangers. When the I-Team began working on this story, they knew there was a pit bull problem, but has since learned it's more of a people problem -- people who want to feel tough by having a tough dog. It's a macho fantasy with consequences for all of us, especially for these loyal but doomed dogs.

A pit bull puppy can melt any heart -- cute, lively and affectionate. So what must happen to transform a friendly pup into a snarling beast? Pit bull critics -- and there are many -- allege that genetic tinkering by bloodthirsty breeders has created a four-legged Frankenstein that is inherently dangerous, and capable of going berserk at any moment. Scary headlines about pit bull attacks on pets and people reinforce the reputation.

Las Vegas has seen its share of bloody and infamous incidents. Dr. Dave Henderson, a Las Vegas veterinarian, says, "I think we have more of a people problem than a pit bull problem."

Veterinarian Dave Henderson sees the evidence every day. Henderson patches up a lot of pit bull victims, but he doesn't think pit bulls are necessarily bad dogs, more dangerous by disposition. But they are certainly more dangerous when the fighting begins.

Dr. Henderson said, "The reason they get a bad rap is they have the muscle tenacity and power to finish the job. If it's a dog fight, the pit bull will come out on top and the other dog isn't going to live."

It's no small wonder that the pit bull is the breed of choice for dog fighting rings, which are illegal in all 50 states but still going strong. On the Internet, hundreds of websites offer dog-fighting videos for sale, often in conjunction with porn. Chat rooms argue about how pits stack up against other breeds, sell merchandise to train fighting dogs, and publish magazines that regularly defend the honor of this blood sport.

Everyday, ads appear in Las Vegas newspapers for pit bull puppies, ads in which the sellers brag about the fighting bloodlines of the pups' family. Fighting pit bulls have become a status symbol in gangster subcultures and have been glorified in rap videos, prompting young fans to want their own fighting dogs. Somehow, men think that owning a tough dog means they themselves are tough.

All of these have combined to create a national pit bull explosion. Animal activist Linda Faso says, "There's huge amounts of money to be made from these dogs. The way they're trained is gruesome. It's indefensible. It's unspeakable cruelty."

How does a friendly puppy become a killing machine? Some trainers hang the dogs from ropes, or keep them isolated from people. Others are put on treadmills for hours each day. Many are given kittens or other dogs to shred, to get the pit bulls used to killing. Dogs that refuse to fight become bait dogs themselves.

Visit the animal shelter and you will see the survivors -- dogs with bite scars, torn ears, broken bones. Some that refuse to fight are starved, like one rescued animal.

At any given moment, 60-percent of the dogs in the Lied Animal Shelter are pit bulls. If not for the pit explosion, the shelter would have plenty of room and a budget surplus. Instead, it's packed to the roof with pit bulls. Hundreds of them do get adopted out to good homes, but the ones who've been turned into killers are too dangerous to release.

Lied Animal Shelter spokesman Mark Fierro said; "The bottom line is if you make a mistake on a cocker spaniel, someone gets nicked. If you make a mistake on a pit bull, you're gonna read about it in the paper."

This restricted section is death row for dogs, and nearly every cage has a pit bull. These are dogs that have bitten someone. It's clear some of them belong here. Bad training and backyard breeding is what lands them on death row. This is the part that people don't like to think about.

One tail-wagging dog has been deemed too dangerous. It's led into a backroom, where it is given an injection by a vet. It then gets bagged up and is sent to a crematorium, a last stop caused by people who don't think.

Janie Greenspun Gale says, "The sad part is living in a shelter in a cage was the most kind thing that ever happened to this animal."

Some cities around the country have enacted outright bans on the breeding of pit bulls. Others have moratoriums on breeding. Others propose that licenses be required for all breeders.