June 3 2008 - Dog fighting in the UK is becoming an increasing problem, according to the RSPCA who state that calls to them regarding this cruel practice have gone up considerably.

Since 2004, the number of calls made to the British charity to report cases of dog fighting have increased by more than 1000 percent, with many of the calls being made to report young teens teaching their dogs to fight.

According to the RSPCA, young teens are using fighting dogs as a symbol of social status. "The ownership of "status symbol" dogs by teenagers on inner-city estates -- low income neighborhoods that usually feature state housing schemes -- which are used for anti-social behavior or dog-fighting, is rising at an alarming rate," the RSPCA said.

Police also report a sharp increase in the number of dogs that are being found and taken under the UK Dangerous Dog Act, with more than 40 dogs a year being taken.

"Our concern is that talk of dog-fighting promotes images of 'dangerous' or 'devil' dogs, when in the vast majority of cases, it is the owner who is causing the problem, not the dog," said the RSPCA's Tim Wass.

Source: Reuters