Besides the inhumane treatment of these animals, the concern is that gang violence against animals is a precursor to harming humans. "There is nearly a 100 percent correlation between abusing animals and abusing people," says Nikki Garbis Proutsos of the ACC commission.
"Gangs use this [dogfighting] as a way to recruit and to gain some profit," notes Sergeant Robert Cargie. Often, children are forced to care for the dogs and participate in the fights, with the goal of de- sensitizing them to brutality. "It's a cycle of violence," he says.
Since January, the commission has trained more than 2,000 uniformed police officers from all over Illinois on how to spot signs of animal abuse and handle the animals. Moreover, the Chicago police developed a roll-call video that is shown to every officer.
The commission's latest initiative, together with the state's attorney and several other public and private organizations, is a brochure for police officers that includes signs of animal abuse and explains Illinois' animal-control laws, which were revised in 2001 and established more severe penalties for dogfighting.
The Dallas animal-control agency has already expressed interest in replicating Chicago's approach to the dogfighting problem.
