With all of the recent allegations towards NFL star Michael Vick, dogfighting has been brought to the attention of both the media and the public eye. Despite the increase in awareness of the crime, dogfighting is growing immensely.

According to CNN an estimated 40,000 people in the U.S. are involved in dogfighting with winnings close to $100,000. The buying and selling of fighting dogs and putting on fights is illegal in every state and a felony in 48. John Goodwin, an expert in animal fighting with the humane society, says that an additional 100,000 people partake in the bloodshed by putting on a more casual form of dogfighting called streetfighting.

With the continuing rise in popularity of dogfighting, the animal shelters are starting to show for it. Kennels are seeing an increase in dogs, especially pit bulls, with scars to show of past fights. The pit bulls are usually the preferred dog of choice with their abundance of strength and stamina. Professional dog fighters are known to pay between $25,000 to $40,000 for dogs with a winning record. Usually, if a losing dog lives through a fight, the owners will end it's life to put it out of it's missery or for pure spite of the failure.

In Georgia, dogfighting is illegal but it is still ok to breed them for it. An offender can face up to five years in jail and a $5,000 dollar fine. Just by being a spectator, a person can face up to a year in jail with a fine. Regardless of these laws, the dogfighting business is booming. There is quite a large following in the underground counterculture, with multiple magazines and affiliations supporting the crime.

There are organizations out there to help fight against dogfighting and pet abuse in general. Sites such as www.pet-abuse.com have a good amount of information on what a person can do to help and how prevent such cruelties.