South-Western Ontario's Dog Fighting Problem

Michael Vick has been indicted on federal felony charges alleging that he has sponsored dog fighting since 2001, has frequently gambled on dog fighting, and has authorized acts of cruelty against animals on property that he owned.
Michael Vick has declined to discuss the investigation.
Vick, the Atlanta Falcons’ starting quarterback, and three other men were indicted in United States District Court in Richmond, Va.
The indictment of Vick, one of the National Football League’s star players, is troubling not only for the Falcons, but for a league that has taken a harder stance against players involved in off-field transgressions under policies laid out by the new commissioner, Roger Goodell.
Vick has said that he had no idea the property might have been used in criminal activities, but in recent weeks he has declined to talk about the investigation.
New York Times
Guilty of innocent, and the courts rightly will decide. This once again brings into focus the problem of policing a practice that is cruel and should be dealt with. In case anyone thinks that we in south-western Ontario is immune the facts speak of otherwise.
From “Western’s New Media Journalism” blog:
Dog fighting is more of a problem in central and southwestern Ontario than the rest of the province, says the Society for the Protection of Cruelty against Animals.
Mike Draper, chief of investigations with the Ontario SPCA, attributes this to the proximity of Michigan where there is a significant problem.
Cathy Crawford, branch manager of the Chatham-Kent SPCA, is concerned that aggressive dogs are getting out into the community.
Crawford says authorities became aware of the dog-fighting problem in the Chatham-Kent area around 1993. They started seeing wounds on some dogs and got phone calls about dead dogs that were being found in garbage bags or dumpsters.
Crawford says there are still signs that dog fighting is an ongoing problem in the Chatham area, but it has mainly gone underground and is hard to get evidence.
My own experience has been that dog fighting twenty years ago was present in the Aylmer area. There are still signs that it continues around London. Dogs of the supposed fighting breads go missing, I suspect stolen or kidnapped.

Two immediate solutions I feel are immediately possible, though considering human nature, probably not the full solution to the problem. One, is to give existing legislation some bite and enforcement. One reason dog fighting comes to this area is because penalties are mild compared to Michigan or Ohio. Secondly. There needs to be some thought given to dealing with backyard breeders. They are the suppliers of animals to the fighting ring. Ontario has tried to ban pit bulls. Watch and see which breed the backyard breeders switch to; and we will know which breed will be the dangerous one for the next few years.