Dogged brutality (4)

He then rented an empty factory building that could hold about 100 people, where two dog fighting games were scheduled every month.

There were even odds for most fights, with a 10 percent commission going to the organizers.

To ensure the fights were not rigged, a number of measures were instituted. Dogs were thoroughly washed using detergent, milk and alcohol to remove their odor, and no one could touch them. They were checked for injuries before each fight, and to make sure they had not been given any anesthetic.

In a video clip also confiscated by the police, the dogs were seen being exercised on treadmills and made to fight each other as a form of training.

A big industry

The case in Yunnan was the latest in a series of underground dog fighting gambling rings in the country. Another ring was busted in Daxing district, Beijing on October 16. This came just a day after the ring, which had existed for more than 10 years, was exposed by the Beijing News.