Inside Dog-Fighting's Brutal World

America's Biggest Dog-Fighting Sting — AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Dogs are rescued from a St. Louis, Mo., location by Humane Society officials July 8, 2009, part of what federal officials call the largest dog-fighting bust in American history. More than 350 mostly American Pit Bull Terrier dogs were rescued in at least five states.

Rescued

Dogs stand chained before being taken away by Humane Society officials in St. Louis, Mo., July 8, 2009. The Humane Society of Missouri says it would welcome help as it shelters about 300 dogs that were seized in raids of dog-fighting operations in Missouri and Illinois.

Rescued

Another dog waits for rescue from a dog-fighting operation in St. Louis, Mo., July 8, 2009. Federal agents said dogs unable or unwilling to fight were shot in the head and thrown in a river or burned in barrels.

Dog-fighting Persists

Despite aggressive raids, dog-fighting rings have popped up around the country. This American Pit Bull Terrier was rescued by the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center in Dayton, Ohio. Jan 17, 2007 photo.

Michael Vick

Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick is escorted out of the Sussex County Courthouse after pleading guilty to dog-fighting charges in Sussex, Va., Nov 25, 2008.

Vick's Victims

Alf, one of the dogs rescued from Michael Vick's dog fighting kennel, stands next to owner Molly Gibb, who adopted the dog, May 20, 2009 at Stars and Strips Park in Oklahoma City. Alf was among 60 dogs rescued from Michael Vick's dog-fighting operation.

Outrage at Michael Vick

PETA protesters hold signs as they protest the Michael Vick hearing outside the Sussex County Courthouse in Sussex, Va., Nov. 25, 2008.

Vick's Victims

Red, a six year old pit-bull rescued from Michael Vick's shuttered dog fighting operation, is shown Sept. 9, 2008 at the SPCA of Monterey County. Red underwent surgery and chemotherapy for multiple tumors.

Vick's Victims

One of Michael Vick's fighting dogs hides in its shelter at Best Friends animal sanctuary, north of Kanab, Utah, Nov. 25, 2008.

A Better Life

"Cookie" a nine-year-old pit bull who fought under the name of "Crook" before he was rescued by the Humane Society, was listed in the Sporting Dog Journal as a top fighting dog, appears outside a press conference in Belle Vernon , Pa., July 26, 2004. The journal came under fire by the Pa. attorney general for allegedly promoting animal cruelty.

One of the pit bulls being held at the Lebanon, Tenn. Animal Control Center Oct. 28, 2003, looks out from his cage after it and four others were found during a raid on a dog fight. Two other dogs died.