Precious Cat Rescued After Being Dyed to be Used as Dogfighting Bait Is Breaking Hearts
Even though dog fighting is illegal in all fifty states it still happens. Earlier this month a senior member of the Defense Department communications staff was arrested and charged with participating in a dogfighting ring in the D.C. area for over 20 years. In 2007, quarterback Michael Vick spent 18 months in federal prison after bankrolling a dogfighting ring.
In a video posted October 12. The Animal Haven animal rescue out of North Haven, CT shared a video of a tiny kitten they saved that had been dyed purple, they think to be used as bait in an illegal dog fighting ring.
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The TikTok account for @theanimalhavenct shared the heartbreaking video.
The Animal Haven posted this on their Facebook page:
We got our Malibu off a “free page website” She was completely covered in purple human hair dye. (No a child did not do it, no it was not by mistake, it was intentional and cruel and disgusting) She had to be shaved, and get blood work to make sure none of the dye had gotten into her bloodstream (thank god it came out fine).
Dog fights are often held in secluded locations to avoid detection by law enforcement, and sometimes smaller and less aggressive dogs, or other animals, are used as bait in these horrific fights. But is a cat with dye on its fur an indication that it has been used as bait in a dog-fighting ring?
Snopes says perhaps not:
News articles occasionally report the finding of dyed cats and link those discoveries to dogfighting, but those reports invariably include disclaimers noting that suggestions of dogfighting connections are a matter of conjecture rather than evidence.We've contacted several animal welfare and law enforcement agencies about this subject and haven't yet found anyone with direct knowledge or evidence of such practices. The ASPCA, for example, told us that, although dogfighting remains a "prevalent and barbaric practice" in the U.S., they have "not encountered this practice [of using cats as bait] in our ongoing efforts to combat dogfighting across the country."
We know that horrifically dog fighting still goes on in the world, and we really hope there's another reason this poor cat was dyed purple. All we do know is that Malibu deserves a loving forever home and we hope she finds one soon. If you would like information about this sweet cat, or any of the other cats Animal Haven CT has available for adoption, you can visit their website here.
If you find a cat that appears neglected, mistreated or in danger, please contact your local animal control immediately.
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