WCNC follows officers battling dog fighting problem

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. -- It's a lot more common than you might think and it's one of the toughest crimes to prosecute -- dog fighting.

WCNC spent the day with animal control officers in Gaston County to find out more about this growing problem.

Animal control officer Steven Hay said he doesn't mind the occasional slow day, catching wild kittens and bringing in stray dogs, because on a busy day he can often deal with animal cruelty cases stemming from allegations of dog fighting.

“It’s a pretty big issue,” Hay said.

Just last month, cops busted a suspected dog fighting ring in Bessemer City. One pit bull was found dead on a chain, and several others were in such bad shape they had to be put down. But the men arrested face only animal cruelty charges, because authorities say unless someone is actually caught in the act, the criminal charge can be very hard to prove. 

A few years ago in Cherryville, Hay says two farmers came upon a field in a rural part of the county with a lot of cars. They went into the woods to investigate and called police when they saw an actual dog fight going on. 

“It ended up being a professional fighting ring. Officers seized $50,000 to $75,000 in cash and three dogs in that case,” Hay said.

Organized fighting, he says, is not the only problem. Hay says street fighting is pretty common too.

“Possible gangsters walking down the street and they just come across each other with dogs and just have it right then and there," he said.

The best way to fight it, the veteran animal control officer says are with tips from people in the neighborhood.

“It's everywhere. It's just a matter of whether or not they get caught or not and we do get lucky every once in awhile,” Hay said.