fighting dogs

As Celeste and I have explored Jesus Maria and Lince, we often come across other dogs in the street. For the most part they seem to be well-mannered guys, mostly curious and friendly, but sometimes have staked out a street corner for themselves and feel a little defensive about another dog crossing the street at "their" intersection. It hasn't become a problem so far, but we are always wary.

Lately, we have met a couple of pit bull boys that are used to fight. Today, around the vet's office, one dog wandered in to check on things, and he was badly scarred on the hindquarters and ears. A local woman told me that he had been used for fighting, but was now mostly retired. I found it interesting that he was allowed to roam the streets on his own, and showed no aggression toward other dogs. We recently met another pit bull that had his ears clipped very VERY short and was quite scarred around the face and neck. He is still currently being used for fighting. This guy is a reserved, but well-mannered dog, and in no way behaves as I expected a fighting dog to behave. No aggression, no inclination to fight, just very pleasant to everyone.

I think it's a shame that these dogs are being used to maim or kill other dogs. They are such sweet-natured fellows; without the clipped ears and scars, one would never imagine that they fight for a living. Dog fighting is illegal here in Peru, as it is in almost every other country, but those who have fighting dogs parade them around like trophies.