UPDATE 09/17/08: Commenter Doug has left an excellent comment regarding this story. He stresses that "hog-doggers" not be lumped into the majority of hunters and that "hog-dogging should be illegal across the board." DogsBite.org agrees, and we did not create this post to oppose hunting. We thank Doug for his clarification and insight. Please click the Comments link at the bottom of this post to read Doug's full comment.
09/17/08: Hog Dog Rodeos -- A Bloodsport
DogsBite.org - In a recent post, we mentioned the sport of hog dog rodeos. This "family event" throws pigs and pit bulls into a ring for entertainment. The squealing, screaming pigs get horribly mauled while the crowd cheers and kids eat cotton candy. Fortunately, the HSUS has helped put a stop to this practice. In the past 5 years, a handful of southern states -- where the sport mainly takes place -- have outlawed the rodeos.
As recently as the arrest of Michael Vick, however, shows that the sport continues. This news clip depicts the southern tradition occurring in the state of Florida. As the clip mentions, hog dog rodeos are different than hog dog hunting. That said, the practice of hog dog hunting creates extremely dangerous dogs, like the ones that killed Rosalie Bivins last year in Oklahoma and terribly mauled a boy in New Zealand this past July.
Why Don't Hunters Just Shoot Feral Hogs?
One has to ask just how "beneficial" this practice is (WARNING graphic video). Once again, our concern is the types of dangerous dogs that hog dog breeding produces. Furthermore, as pointed out on this website (United Hog Dog Association of America), pit bull owners that join the club have the right to own: hunting dogs (pit bulls), break sticks, treadmills, flirt poles and any other hog dog hunting and training paraphernalia needed!
Related articles:
07/24/08: Pig Dogs (Pit Bull Mixes) Attack Boy in New Zealand
08/26/07: 2007 Fatality: Rosalie Bivins Killed While Getting Her Mail
What a bunch of redneck idiots! Settings pit bulls on some poor hog, trapped in a pen, is definitely not sport.
Pathetic and pointless, and let me point out that hog-dogging is not condoned by the majority of hunters. Removal of hogs is legitimate; torturing with catch dogs is not.
Hog-dogging is unproductive compared to trapping and hunting over bait stations, or snipping multiple hogs during open grazing. And hog dogging sometimes disrupts these other forms of hunting, with a pack meandering and dispersing pigs away from other hunters. What’s more, these hog dog packs sometimes catch, injure and kill unintended game like deer, particularly bedded fawns that are left to rot.
And the hog-dogs don’t respect boundaries or make distinctions between hogs and domestic livestock and pets. There are very few hunting situations where this is not an issue.
Like most hunters, I’ve invested too much in time and money to acquire the skills and tools needed for humane, ethical hunting. We certainly don’t want to be lumped in with hog-doggers in any discussion. Hog-dogging should be illegal across the board.
I agree Doug…I’m all for hunters rights, but this ain’t ethical hunting, where the code requires a quick, humane kill.
Keep in mind these Hog Rodeos are the same as the Bull/Bear Baiting events for which the pit bull was developed. The Pit Cult essentially worships the 19th century british neatherthals who started it.
It wouldn’t surprise me if some of these hog rodeo types are sexually abusing the pigs!
The Hog-doggers, drug dealers and dogfighters are gradually switching over to cocker spaniels since they tend to be more viscous.
True story!
You go that right! One can’t help thinking of your past paragraph while watching the video. I was just too afraid to write it. I’m glad you were not. The person in that video is clearly sick and wrong.
These videos need a soundtrack…”Dueling Banjos” from the film “Deliverance” would be appropriate.
Putting hogs in a pen to be caught by dogs is stupid, but in the woods a catchdog is necessary if hunting with dogs( using a gun could cause injury the dogs due to the close proximity to the hog). All hog hunters who use dogs don’t participate in rodeos, in fact most woods hunters have never been to one and would be insulted by any association of their” woods dogs” to a ” pen dog”. These two types of people are very different. Hunters need to remember that hogs are a nuisance animal, like a rat. Hunting with dogs is about 20 to 30 times more effective when trying to eliminate hogs from an area. Hogs respond to the predatory pressure applied by dogs almost immediately and leave the area. when hunting with rifles or traps the response is very, very slow.
You make it out like using dogs is the only way to catch a hog. There are hog cage traps, guns, etc.
What’s really interesting is when hog hunters transport hogs from some place else and introduce them into a new environment so they can hunt closer to home. Then say they must kill the hogs because they are causing damage, yet they were introduced to the area by rogue hunters!
I don’t have a problem with hunting (non-trophy type hunting) and I get the “nusiance animal” thing.
The problem that I have with this hog dogging crap is it appears to be nothing more than a way to skirt around the animal fighting laws. Sure, you can use dogs to track, corner and even catch the hog. But the hunter MUST dispatch that hog IMMEDIATELY for this to be a legitimate form of hunting.
Some of the hog dog videos that I have seen on YouTube, show the hunter holding up the back legs of the already caught hogs while his dogs disembowel it.
When bull baiting became illegal in England, the sick f*cks who engaged in that activity turned to dog on dog fighting. When dog fighters came under threat of prosecution, they channeled their need for blood sport into this activity.
This is disgusting and from what I have seen, in no way resembles HUNTING.
This year my pig and pot belly pig farm is being attacked by hunters. They have stolen perimeter fences, cut my electric fences and run their dogs on me, hunters, guns a banging and dogs barking, and dogs attacking, pigs crying, and four wheelers. They destroyed what I have worked with for 10 years. This year we had 1200 new babies . I have 62 today. My 651 large pigs over 1000 lbs. They killed and chased off to their trailers. All of them were gentle. I was working on a petting zoo for handicapped children. 345 potbelly pigs killed in addition. I have 12 of them left. The law was in on the hunt. I was told I wasn’t allowed to have that much pork and not give them some. Then when I called 911 I was given tickets for Hogs at large. What can I do. What federal way can I go. This happened in Tennessee. Klan land you know?????? How do I post the photo’s?? I am visually impaired so this takes me awhile longer than others. Please help give me some direction. Thank you
02/02/09 UPDATE: The second video has been updated with yet another egregious video (the old was deleted by the user or YouTube).
Theresa, you can email photos directly to DogsBite.org by going to our Contact Page:
https://www.dogsbite.org/contact-dogsbite.htm
Man arrested for killing pig
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http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20090426_man_arrested_for_killing_pig.html
Police were called after a hunter allegedly killed a pet pig at a Hawaii Kai animal sanctuary. The baby pig belonged to the Hawaii Animal Sanctuary, which takes care of ill or handicapped animals at a farm on Kamilonui Place, said Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board member Gary Weller, who owns the farm.
Weller, who was not home during the incident yesterday, said the man drove up a private road and set loose hunting dogs that tore into the pig. Then the man stabbed it at least twice. Volunteers heard the dogs and the pig squealing and came out to see the pig get stabbed, he said.
Weller said police were called and the man was arrested. The 6-month-old pig weighed about 75 pounds and was blind at birth. The pig was named Keller, after Helen Keller, he said. Weller said this is the second time in six months that hunters have killed a pig on his property.
I oppose all sport hunting but I can recognize that some forms are worse than others. This is ridiculous.