David Guralnick / The Detroit News This stray pit bull, at the Michigan Humane Society in Detroit, is suspected of being used in fights. Animal laws Michigan recently enacted a number of other laws aimed at animal welfare:  * The laws prohibit the private ownership of wolf hybrids, large exotic cats and bears.   * Current owners of such animals have until Nov. 1 to obtain grandfather permits to keep the animals.  * The laws were drafted by the Michigan Humane Society, the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association, the Michigan Association of Animal Control Officers, the Detroit Zoological Institute and others considered experts on wolves and wolf hybrids.    Source: The Michigan Humane Society     How to help    Using a computer search engine, dog-lovers may help pit bulls and others by viewing:    * American Pit Bull Terrier Rescue Groups    * Dogwatch.net    * Friends of Terriers: Pit Bull Rescue    * PitsPlus Pit Bull Rescue    * The Partnership for Animal Welfare David Guralnick / The Detroit News Jan Ramos, an evaluator at the Michigan Humane Society in Detroit, prepares a lethal injection for an unwanted pit bull.

By Craig Garrett / The Detroit News

    LIVONIA -- Police continue to crack down on dog-fighting rings that thrive in some Wayne County communities.  A 37-year-old Livonia man is the latest person charged with animal cruelty after police found battle-scarred and nearly starved dogs and graphic videotapes of dog fights at his home.
   Others in Canton Township have been charged with running an illegal dog-fighting operation that landed several men in jail this year. Detroit and Inkster police have collectively seized hundreds of pit bulls from organized drug and dog-fighting rings in undercover raids.  Several hundred other dogs are dropped off at animal shelters or left for dead in vacant lots. Considered by police in the 1980s to have lost its attraction, authorities say dog fighting has increased in recent years. Lured by gambling profits and a lust for blood sport, it's estimated that about 40,000 people witness or participate in staged dog fights annually. Internet sites dedicated to dog fighting and underground magazines on the topic are flourishing. There is no apparent reason for the resurgence, although authorities point to the booming national economy, coupled with the popularity of dog fighting among drug dealers and some people in rural communities. "Unfortunately, it's a way for people to make money. Breeding (fighting) dogs and fighting them, a person can make thousands of dollars," said Kevin Jones, an animal cruelty investigator for the Michigan Humane Society.  Jones, a former Detroit police officer, said the Humane Society this year alone will confiscate and euthanize several hundred pit-bull dogs. Pit bulls often are deemed unadoptable and are often put to death within a few hours of coming to the Detroit animal shelter near East Grand Boulevard, he said. A female pit bull dropped off by a Detroit couple Tuesday was euthanized in less than 10 minutes.
   
Dog of choice
   Most everyone agrees that pit bulls are the dog of choice in dog-fighting circles. Whether they're used to fight or train other dogs, pit bulls most commonly are confiscated by local authorities. The muscular animals in packs once fought lions and bears in staged events. Dog fighters say the dogs show more "game" than any other animal, meaning they can often fight to the death without losing tenacity. Livonia Police Lt. Ben McDermott said a videotape he viewed showed pit bulls engaged in ferocious, bloody fighting. Jones said one legendary pit bull owned by an alleged Detroit drug dealer could outlast his opponents well beyond human endurance. The drug dealer was killed in a dispute over dogs, Jones said. "(The dog) could fight up to two hours. Everyone (in dog-fighting circles) was very mad when we put (the pit bull) down," he said. The problem may be that while they're loathed in some circles, pit bulls are revered in others. In fact, the mascot for the U.S. Marine Corps is a hefty black pit bull named John Wayne, and some schools use the dog as a symbol of toughness on the football field.  The dog also seems to grab headlines around the country. Any time a dog attack occurs, television and newspaper pictures are likely to show a picture of a pit bull, whether the animal was a pit bull or not, says Marie Matulis, a member of an online pit bull rescue group.  "The perception is that they're killers, and that's simply not true. Around people, they're very loving," said Matulis, an Indiana woman who adopts wounded or rescued fighting dogs. Matulis said dog bite statistics reveal there are about two national fatalities a month from dog attacks.
   
Defenders rescue dogs
   Some animal rights activists have started defending pit bulls and other fighting dogs since tougher community laws were enacted to ban or limit the ownership of pit bulls. Sheila Salmi started an online rescue program in the last couple of years. She saved about 60 pit bulls from a fighting career or the needle of an animal shelter worker.  She suggests that pit bulls aren't to blame for the bad rap they get. In fact, they make great house pets, she said.  "They are the most loyal, protective dogs you'll encounter. Besides, somebody has to love them," she said.

You can reach Craig Garrett at (313) 561-9646 or at cgarrett@detnews.com.