25 Verified Dog Fighting Statistics, with a Source [2023 Update]

This article was updated on January 13th, 2023

We have spent several days searching through reliable sources – including the FBI, the US Department of Justice, the ASPCA as well as media outlets such as CNN and the NY Times – to find the best verified dog fighting statistics. We have also used our contacts in the industry to help.

In our research, we have found that several statistics shared by other websites turned out to be false or at least could not be verified. As a result, we have made sure to include a reliable source for each statistic shared on this page. Contact us (nicolas.mottet (at) SeniorTailWaggers.com) if you would like more details on our sources, and we will be happy to help.

Despite its cruelty to animals, the practice of dog fighting is very much still happening in the US (with over 5,000 dogs rescued in dog fighting cases over the span of ten years involving the ASPCA).

Dog Fighting Statistics

$20,000 is how much a winning fighting dog can be worth
Source: ASPCA

$250,000 is the maximum criminal fine for convicted dog fighting felons
Source: FBI / US Dpt of Justice

5 years in jail is the maximum jail time for convicted dog fighting felons
Source: FBI / US Dpt of Justice

1 to 2 hours is the duration of a typical dog fighting exhibition
Source: ASPCA, Humane Society

$100 to $150 can be the cost of attending a dog fighting exhibition
Source: FBI / US Dpt of Justice

Several hours is how long a single dog fight can last
Source: ASPCA

$5,000 is the reward from the Humane Society for a dog fighting report that leads to a conviction
Source: Humane Society

5,000 dogs were rescued in dog fighting cases involving the ASPCA over the span of almost ten years
Source: ASPCA

$200,000 is how high a dog fighting bet can go
Source: FBI / US Dpt of Justice / US Attorney

387 dogs were rescued in a single FBI raid in 2013
Source: FBI / US Dpt of Justice

More than 400 dogs were rescued in the single biggest dog fighting investigation in 2009 (not 500 as sometimes reported).
Source: NY Times

$500,000 in cash was seized during a single FBI raid on a dog fighting operation
Source: FBI / US Dpt of Justice / CNN

350 Pitbulls have been rescued from a single dogfighting ring
Source: CNN

60 to 90 days is the typical time a rescued fighting dog is held at a shelter
Source: ASPCA

$600-$1800 is the estimated cost that a shelter will incur per rescued fighting dog, plus any necessary veterinary expenses.
Source: ASPCA / SeniorTailWaggers

35 dogs is the average number of dogs rescued during a police raid
Source: NEACHA / ASPCA

20 individual arrests are made on average during police raids on dog-fighting operations
Source: NEACHA / ASPCA

Virtually all raids related to dog fighting also involve seizure of illegal drugs
Source: ASPCA

40,000 people is the Humane Society estimate for the number of people who participate in organized dogfighting in the US
Source: Humane Society

50% of police officers nationwide say they have encountered dog fighting in their line of work
Source: FBI / ASPCA

Only 23% of police officers said their department has the necessary resources to investigate dog fighting cases
Source: ASPCA

All 50 US states have made dog fighting a felony. However, Dog-fighting is still legal in Japan, and parts of Russia or Latin America.
Source: Michigan State University’s Animal Center / NPR

5 times more likely. Animal abusers are 5 times more likely to also be involved in violent crimes against humans.
Source: MSPCA

71% of victims of domestic violence also asserted that their partner had harmed or threatened to harm the family pet.
Source: MSPCA

3,200 FBI reports were filed in the first year that the FBI started to track cases related to animal cruelty in 2016
Source: FBI