BIRMINGHAM AT CENTRE OF DOG FIGHT TRADE

27-07-2007

Birmingham is at the centre of an illegal trade in importing, buying and selling fighting dogs. An undercover BBC investigation has identified ten people involved in this vile business - and six of those come from the West Midlands.

Researchers say they found hundreds of websites where Pitbull-style dogs are being offered for sale, and posed as buyers to test the claims.

They found five men in Birmingham and one in Wolverhampton who were happy to take their money - as well as another in the East Midlands and three in London.

In some cases, illegal fighting breeds are being imported from Pakistan and quarantined with greyhound puppies where their true identity isn’t being picked up by Customs.

Others are being brought into the UK via horse-racing boxes which, its claimed, aren’t being thoroughly checked.

Two of the sellers offered to meet their prospective purchaser on Birmingham’s Stratford Road; another on nearby Warwick Road.

One Brummie salesman said: “If you buy this dog, it’s like carrying a loaded gun”.

In two instances, the fake purchaser was even told that he’d be offered advice and training on canine combat.

One man claimed to have won thousands of pounds betting on his dog to win in fights at local parks.