Two Kittens Who Were Tied Together and Used as Bait for Dogfighting Get Rescued Just in Time

As hard as it is for us to wrap our heads around, dogfighting rings still exist in the U.S. and around the world. If you’re not familiar with the underground world of this so-called “sport,” it’s a dark one. Essentially, dogs, many times Pit Bulls, are trained by cruel humans to become aggressive, violent, and combative. Trainers employ a variety of tactics, including abusing the dogs, beating them with poles to increase jaw strength, keeping them in cages for days on end, and starving them. Despite the fact that dogfighting is considered a felony in all 50 states, humans who have a thirst for money and a gambling habit continue to Support dogfighting operations. 

While dogs are obviously the most affected by this brutish practice, they are not the only animals who suffer. Oftentimes, small animals, like kittens, are used as bait to train the dogs. That’s right, living, breathing kittens are thrown at dogs as a way to practice for what will surely be a bloody and horrifying dog fight. Sadly, this still occurs in the world.

Just recently, two kittens were mysteriously dropped off at a Pet Food Express in Benicia, California and were eventually brought to a rescue center. According to veterinarians, the two tabbies, later named Will and Grace, were dropped off in terrible shape.

Will and Grace’s legs were bound together with rubber bands, a clear indication that these innocent creatures were going to be used as dogfighting bait. 

All that saw the kittens on their journey from street to rescue center were shocked. “It’s the first time I’ve seen our entire staff reduced to tears, everybody,” shared Pet Food Express store manager, Leona Edejer, in an interview with ABC 7 News. 

Both kittens had severe damage to their legs from being tied up. Despite efforts to nurse them back to health, Grace didn’t make it and had to be euthanized due to a severe gangrene infection. Now veterinarians are doing everything they can to help Will recover. 

Will is currently receiving around the clock care at Solano County Friends of Animals, a nonprofit rescue organization. In addition to helping Will, the organization is working with The Solano County Animal Control Division to investigate the situation, try to find out who dropped these kittens off, and unveil any dogfighting circles that may be congregating in the area. We hope justice comes for these kittens and that people see this situation as a lesson. Dogfighting trainers will often scour Craigslist and other classified ads online looking for free animals to use as bait – so it is incredibly important to be very wary if you ever need to find a new home for any animals. Together, we can help put an end to this outrageous cruelty, if you’d like to help Will with his recovery, click here to donate.

All image source: Solano County Friends of Animals