Despite being a felony in all 50 states, dogfighting persists all over the country and in all types of communities. Victims of this heinous form of animal cruelty can be found with heavy chains or tethers outside with no food or water, with scars and wounds, both physical and psychological.

At the ASPCA, we work tirelessly to rescue these victims and show them the compassion and kindness they deserve — and that’s exactly what we did with suspected dogfighting victim and puppy, Rockstar. 

Rockstar, chained up and trying to find shade on scene in South Carolina.

Last August, at the request of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the ASPCA assisted with the removal of a group of dogs from a property in South Carolina. Suspected to have been used for dogfighting, Rockstar and all other dogs were transported to the ASPCA Cruelty Recovery Center (CRC) in Columbus, Ohio, to receive much-needed medical and behavioral care.  

Working Through Fear

Jenessa Bauman, a behavior specialist at the CRC who works with dogs from suspected cruelty or disaster cases, was there the day Rockstar was brought in.

“He came in pretty fearful of the environment and walking on leash,” she remembered. “In suspected dogfighting cases we see fear, and it’s usually fear of the environment, not so much fear of people. A lot of times we see arousal toward objects and are sometimes dealing with arousal or aggression toward other dogs. This was not Rockstar’s case; he was actually a very calm and gentle boy.”

In fact, Rockstar loved people and other dogs, leading Jenessa and her team to often use these as motivators to get Rockstar used to walking on leash or to explore new places.

“We’d take him to playgroups so he could learn that going to places isn’t scary and he will have a good time if he can just walk on leash to the play yard.”

When it came to hanging with his people, Rockstar was always ready to receive pets, treats and love, something Jenessa attributes to his breed.

“People can often be one of their biggest motivators and I think a lot of times we attribute that to the breed, pitties and bully breeds, that unfortunately we see in suspected dogfighting cases,” said Jenessa. “They are one of the most social breeds towards people, in my opinion. A lot of times if they aren’t social with other dogs or they haven’t gotten there just yet, they will come around with people and enjoy cuddles, playing with toys, stuff like that.”

Soon enough, Jenessa and Rockstar’s hard work paid off and Rockstar didn’t mind being leashed or walking to new places. His sweet demeanor and affinity for both people and dogs landed him as a staff favorite and a helper dog in playgroups.

“A helper dog is a dog that has good playgroup skills, and we know won’t overwhelm a new dog that may be fearful or not as confident in a playgroup,” explained Jenessa. “It’s a dog that we can count on to hopefully bring out play in other dogs. If we had a dog that didn’t like other dogs, Rockstar could somehow get them to play.”

Often times, when Jenessa and her colleagues were doing office work, they would bring Rockstar in to hang out.

“He enjoyed being around people and we enjoyed having him,” she said. “Sometimes we individually have a favorite dog, but Rockstar was one that the whole team adored. He just wanted to cuddle, play with toys or play with other dogs. He was a very good boy!”

After three months at the CRC, Rockstar had made great strides with his fears and was ready to see the world after a life of being chained up. And we had found just the person for him to do it with!

Finding the Pawfect Fit

Hope S. had recently moved out of her family home where her childhood dog, Oakley, lived when she started looking for a new companion.

“I waited a little while, let myself get settled in and saw how I managed on my own and realized I was ready for a puppy in my life,” said Hope.

Not long after, Hope was at the CRC meeting Rockstar.

“He had the cutest little happiest wiggly tail ever! He was very excited, he came running in,” remembered Hope. “I was sitting on the couch, and he jumped up right next to me. He immediately started giving me love and that just melted my heart so much. I immediately felt comfortable with him and excited to play.”

Hope and Rockstar out for a walk.

Though she had a strong connection with Rockstar right away, Hope was introduced to  a few other dogs just to be sure, but after meeting everyone else, Hope asked to see Rockstar again.

“They brought him back out and I couldn’t help myself! I just wanted to hug on him,” she told us.

Like we do with all of our dogs, our staff explained Rockstar’s background to Hope. Sometimes, a history like Rockstar’s can give pause to adopters due to some misconceptions surrounding dogfighting victims. But Hope didn’t bat an eye.

“Dogfighting is sickening, so I try not to think about why people do that because it really makes no sense. It breaks my heart; it truly breaks my heart,” said Hope. “But it didn’t stop me from wanting him. When I met him there wasn’t an ounce of aggression, he was just immediately happy and excited.”

Hope was able to bring Rockstar home that very same day.

From Chains to Cuddles

When going to a new home, many dogs feel nervous or anxious, and Rockstar, who not long ago had a fear of new environments, was no exception.

“The first night at home, Rockstar was anxious, and he wasn’t sure where he was allowed to go or what he was allowed to sniff or play with,” Hope told us. “I got him a bed and to help him understand that this is where we can lay, I laid myself on it and he came up and laid right next to me.”

About a week later, with many more toys and treats, Rockstar settled into his first-ever loving home. Since then, he’s been showing off his personality and quirks.

“There’s this funny thing he does at home. We have a basket of toys in the living room and one by one he will take his toys to the back room where his crate is — which he loves — and line them up individually around the bed,” explained Hope. “I did a little research on it, and it just means that they feel more comfortable in that space. I think that means a lot. Since I brought him home, he’s been sleeping in bed with me, so I think he feels secure and comfortable.”

Hope has recently started running with Rockstar and is working on training him, something she loves to do!

“It’s fun! You get to see them learn and figure out who they are and what they’re capable of doing and I think that’s so beautiful. I’m training Rockstar into an awesome young man!”

Looking Past Misconceptions of Dogfighting Survivors

Far too often, due to unfair bias and misconceptions, dogs like Rockstar are overlooked because of their past, when really, they just want a loving home like any other dog. While every dog will experience trauma differently and heal in different ways, we’ve seen countless dogs like Rockstar go on to become beloved pets.

“I think Rockstar is an example of the resilience that comes from suspected dogfighting cases,” said Jenessa. “They go through so much and they still trust people and still deserve a chance to go out and be a normal dog. Every dogfighting victim or dog from suspected cruelty case deserves to know where their next meal is coming from, to have a bed to lay in and a chance to be a normal dog.”

She adds, “Thinking about the situation that Rockstar came from, he was chained outside without water and didn’t know when his next meal was coming. It makes me emotional to think about that and then see where Rockstar is today, knowing he’s a couch potato and sleeping in a bed. I don’t think we could ask for anything more. I’m just so grateful for his adopter who came in and didn’t judge him by his past. She looked at Rockstar and saw the sweet, confident dog that he is and decided to take a chance on him.”

Having worked with many dogs like Rockstar before, Jenessa offers some advice to potential adopters out there.

“Don’t judge the breed as a whole and don’t judge where they came from. Rockstar, for example, came from a suspected dogfighting case but he loved other dogs,” explained Jenessa. “This is what we do here at the Cruelty Recovery Center! We get a lot of dogs from cruelty situations and on intake they may be struggling medically, mentally or behaviorally. Our behavior, medical and sheltering teams all work together to get that dog back on track, give them they best care they could need, and then by the time they’re available for adoption, we know that the behavior team has worked with them, they’ve been checked over by the medical team and they are ready to live a life that does not resemble anything they may have come from.”

As an adopter of a suspected dogfighting victim, Hope not only agrees with Jenessa, but offers her own insight.

“When it comes to adopting a dogfighting victim, I would say there shouldn’t be any hesitation. You have people that go out and rescue them and then take great care of them, that helps tremendously,” said Hope. “They gave Rockstar great behavioral training and took the time and patience he needed to find him a good home. He doesn’t have an angry bone in his body, he’s just a happy little boy. He has completely changed my life.”

As we recognize National Dogfighting Awareness Day on April 8, consider becoming an advocate for suspected dogfighting victims like Rockstar. Whether that means adopting a former victim or simply sharing Rockstar’s story with friends, family or on social media, you can make a life-changing difference.