An animal welfare expert gave a free public lecture at the University of Windsor on Thursday.
Dr. Stephen Zawistowski spent 26 years as a senior executive at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and worked extensively on the notorious Michael Vick case, and directly with the dogs seized in the case.
Zawistowski talked about his involvement with the case and about the history and culture of dog fighting.
He says dog fight rings are more common than we know and that anyone can be involved.
“They're everybody,” says Zawistowski. “The people who live next door to you. We've seen in dog fighting bust it's the coach of the local football team. It's the police officer in town. It's your neighbours uncle.”
He believes all seized animals need to be evaluated on an individual basis before deciding rehabilitation options.
“It's dramatically different from place to place," he says.
Organizers say Zawistowski's Windsor appearance has nothing to do with the recent arrests in Chatham-Kent.
The charges related to alleged dog fighting in tilbury have not been proven in court. That matter returns to a Chatham courtroom again one week from today.
The Ontario SPCA has applied to euthanize 21 additional dogs that were seized in the Tilbury case.
