Michael Vick's Rape Stand And other equipment used in dogfights.

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 9:04 pm

By Michelle Tsai

Posted Friday, July 20, 2007, at 5:46 PM ET

A federal grand jury indicted Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick on Tuesday, charging him with taking part in a dogfighting operation. When police raided his rural property in Virginia in April, they discovered dozens of pit bull terriers. They also found a "rape stand," a pry bar, treadmills, and a fight pit, all of which authorities said pointed to the illicit sport. What is this equipment?

Legitimate dog training tools for the most part, but ones that come in handy for turning pit bulls into vicious fighters. Pooches die so often in fights that owners always need new dogs. This is where the rape stand, also called a breeding stand, comes in. It consists of two steel poles mounted to the ends of a platform that's often made of wood. U-shaped pieces of curved metal sit atop each pole; one goes around the belly of a female pit bull and the other around her neck. The stand isn't illegal, but dog breeders don't normally use it; after all, female dogs in heat aren't so particular. And most people wouldn't want to breed poorly socialized dogs that must be strapped down to mate. But breeders of attack dogs place special value on females that are so mean they might bite any male dogs that get too close. People find these stands online or through an underground dogfighting magazine, or they make their own.

Authorities also discovered performance-enhancing drugs on the property, and one news report suggested Vick regularly purchased syringes. Dogfighters might inject their dogs with stimulants before a fight. Afterward, they might give antibiotics to prevent infection, or a steroid like dexamethasone to reduce pain and swelling and help rebuild torn muscles. Legitimate breeders and kennel owners might also have syringes, for administering vaccines or medicine.

Some of Vick's other equipment wasn't so unusual. A pry bar, also called a break stick, is a plastic or wooden stick used to break up a fight when dogs won't stop biting each other. The tool looks like a hammer handle with a flat edge and can be inserted into the mouth behind the molars to pry open the jaw. Anyone who works with dogs for a living would probably own the tool, and it's especially recommended for pit bull owners, since the breed is extremely strong-willed. Treadmills, also found on Vick's property, are commonly used to exercise sled dogs like Siberian Huskies or dogs preparing for weight pull competitions. To build a pit bull's strength, a dogfighter might make the animal wear a weighted collar while walking up an incline on the treadmill.

Vick also kept a dogfight pit on his property. Dogfighters commonly abide by what are called Cajun rules for how big these pits can be—about 12 feet per square side, with plywood walls 2 feet 6 inches high. They often lay down carpeting to give the pit bulls more traction, which might explain the bloodied carpet lying around Vick's house.

Got a question about today's news? document.write("[EMAIL=]")Ask the Explainerdocument.write('');[/EMAIL].

Explainer thanks John Goodwin of the Humane Society of the United States and Paula Thomas of White Oak Animal Hospital.

Lindsey · Post by **Lindsey** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 9:23 pm

There are no words... :yh_angry

guppy · Post by **guppy** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 9:36 pm

They should put him in the pit naked tied to his rape stand with the dogs he trained and let em have at it...

pepperband · Post by **pepperband** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 9:37 pm

Some :-5people are alive simply because it's illegal to kill them

Vicks is one of those people

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 9:40 pm

You guys are too kind.

I'm thinking Guido in a dark alley...drawing and quartering...boiling oil...just tossing some things around.

The Rob · Post by **The Rob** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 10:11 pm

I didn't bother reading much past the first paragraph because one of the crimes for which I'd gladly see the pillory brought back is animal abuse.

G-man · Post by **G-man** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 10:43 pm

Hopefully, this most recent scandal coming to light will finally ruin his career.

guppy · Post by **guppy** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 1:28 am

i hate to say it but dog fighting and rooster fighting is a big business in the state of georgia..every year pit bulls are put to sleep because of this..and it is not against the law to raise rooster..but give me a break people..when the law sees a yard with hundreds of roosters staked out across it...they arent raising them for eggs..

. any idiot lawman could follow the owner and catch alot of his friends..in the act...i hear about the fights and i have absolutely nothing to do with them...of course if so many higher ups and politicians werent involved in them i bet it wouldnt go on like it does...

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 1:42 am

guppy;665258 wrote: i hate to say it but dog fighting and rooster fighting is a big business in the state of georgia..every year pit bulls are put to sleep because of this..and it is not against the law to raise rooster..but give me a break people..when the law sees a yard with hundreds of roosters staked out across it...they arent raising them for eggs..

. any idiot lawman could follow the owner and catch alot of his friends..in the act...i hear about the fights and i have absolutely nothing to do with them...of course if so many higher ups and politicians werent involved in them i bet it wouldnt go on like it does...

I'm sure you're right on that, Gup. Up until a recent few years ago, Arizona was one of, I think, three states that still legally permitted c.ockfighting. We voted it out finally but my gosh, the status of some of the people supporting and promoting it was incredible. Even one of our local mayors garbled on about how it was "a tradition ingrained in Arizona's Hispanic culture" and yada. I was stunned that someone commanding respect could be so damned stupid. There were many pillars of the communities who supported this despicable thing. I'm sure it still goes on in secret, especially close to the border.

We supposedly have a dogfighting ring in my town too. The cops seem to know about it but last I heard it continues. I wonder how many cops are being paid off to look aside.

guppy · Post by **guppy** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 4:08 am

RedGlitter;665261 wrote: I'm sure you're right on that, Gup. Up until a recent few years ago, Arizona was one of, I think, three states that still legally permitted c.ockfighting. We voted it out finally but my gosh, the status of some of the people supporting and promoting it was incredible. Even one of our local mayors garbled on about how it was "a tradition ingrained in Arizona's Hispanic culture" and yada. I was stunned that someone commanding respect could be so damned stupid. There were many pillars of the communities who supported this despicable thing. I'm sure it still goes on in secret, especially close to the border.

We supposedly have a dogfighting ring in my town too. The cops seem to know about it but last I heard it continues. I wonder how many cops are being paid off to look aside.

what would probably surprise you red is how many are actually involved in it..

about thirty years ago..there was an old builing down from my grannys..at night hundreds of cars would be parked around it..in the woods..the only acccess to it was down a long dirt road into the middle of the property..from the road you could see nothing..but inside it was a large gambling establishment...casino....and i was shocked to see the local sheriff sitting right in the middle of it one time...playing poker....:-2