On July 17, 2007, Michael Vick along with three other men, were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor a dog in animal fighting venture. Because of the attention the name Michael Vick garners and the graphic violence and cruelty associated with the sport, there has been an influx of media coverage pertaining to the world and underworld of dog fighting.

Nike, Inc. and Vick together have made millions of dollars by portraying a certain image that main stream America might find consistent with the Hip Hop culture. Because of this, along with irresponsible journalism, too much attention has been directed towards finding a connection between dog fighting and urban or inner-city practices, instead of noting the wide ranging demographic involved in dog fighting in this country and throughout the world.

Law enforcement officials divide dog fighting activity into three categories. “The Street Level” is the lowest level and consists of spontaneous, informal and less organized forms of dog fighting. These “trainers” often don’t have the financial means as others involved in the sport, so they resort to less than adequate training practices. Fights often result in death of one or both animals because of their ignorance or just a refusal to adhere to the rules of a formal dog fight. Also, it’s much more common to find other breeds, such as Rottweilers, being used on the Street Level. Fighting pit bulls with strong bloodlines can go for as much as $50,000, so lower income “trainers” will find other means to get involved in the sport.

The second category of dog fighters is referred to as “Hobbyist”. Hobbyist are seen as mid-level “trainers” who fight dogs for entertainment but by paying more attention to the bloodlines of dogs and the rules and traditions of organized fights, they are considered above the Street Level “trainers.” Often, Hobbyist “trainers” are seen as aspiring Professional dog fighters, who have yet to receive such status.

The final category is the “Professional”. Professional fighters have large numbers of animals used for breeding, selling and fighting. Animals are often disposed of that are not successful fighters and specific attention is given to the bloodline and history of a dog.

Pit bulls are the breed of choice for dog fighting, not only because of their size and strength, but because their willingness to fight or “gameness” suits the rules of dog fighting so well. In an organized dogfight, the two dogs face each other behind what is known as a “scratch line”. A dog “scratches” when it crosses the line towards the opposing dog with full intent of engaging in the fight. When there is a lull in the action, or the moment one dog turns away from the opposing dog for even a second, the dogs are separated, placed behind the lines and they must “scratch” to continue. Once a dog refuses to “scratch”, the fight is over