THE DISCOURSE OF DOG FIGHTING

In this essay, we discuss dog fighting as a blood sport with a history embedded in the status-driven display of masculinity, power and violence. Based on published reports and interviews with those living and working in dog fighting neighborhoods, we show that the contemporary cultural knowledge of dog fighting is a discourse with multiple meanings: for those who pit dogs against each other, for the worried public, for those who are charged with law enforcement, and for the dogs themselves. We conclude with an argument that the discourse of dog fighting might best be approached from the perspective of green criminology with a focus on those who are most abused by the crime: the fighting dogs. REFLEXIVE STATEMENTS Linda Kalof writes for both academic and general readers on the representation of animals in western culture. Her current project is a historiography of animal imagery in blood sports and other human rituals and how those depictions are linked to the devaluation of marginalized social groups. Carl S. Taylor promotes humanitarian efforts in distressed communities and leads efforts to encourage peaceful resolution and community leadership initiatives that include youth. In this community effort, dog fighting has been targeted by a group of ex-offenders under the umbrella of "Good Shepherds," who are educating youth and community members about dog fighting. og fighting has finally entered the public discourse for the sorry sport that it is, and as is the case with most issues regarding the human treatment of other animals, the debate over pitting animals in fights to the death is highly contested. The contestation takes multiple forms, most of it in the popula