And You Thought Dog Fighting Was Bad...

Welcome to the world of HOG DOG FIGHTING.

At first, I really thought this was a joke. But here is an article on the website of the Humane Society of the United States about this bizarre little-known blood sport.

I won't go into details because it is just nasty. "Hog" is just another name for highly sensitive and intelligent pigs. Even if they are feral, hogs are not fighting animals.

But here is a snippet so you can also bask in the glory of this noble sport that takes place in various rural areas of southern states. Apparently, there are also "kiddie" games too where children can chase the wounded hog. Classy.

Hog dogging, hawg dawgin', hog baiting, hog dog "rodeos": They're all terms for a bloodsport known as hog dog fighting. An owner leads his trained pit bull into an enclosed pen. She lunges and pulls so hard on the leash that she soon stands erect on her hind legs, her face fixed in a snarl. Her guttural growl erases any doubt that she is unsure of her purpose.

At the other end of the ring, the "handler" shoves a feral pig, or hog, through a chute into the pen. He will use a cattle prod if the hog, who has faced these dogs before, hesitates. And just in case the hog had any notion of trying to defend himself, the handler has already taken the precaution of removing his tusks with bolt cutters.

The pit bull’s owner removes her leash. Before you can count to three-one-thousand, the dog tackles the hog in a cloud of dust. Her jaws tear into the hog’s flesh, maybe ripping his snout, tail, or an ear. The hog expresses his pain and fear through loud squeals that echo off the pen's tin walls. The crowd is pleased; the dog pins the hog to the ground in a mere seven seconds. As with a wrestling pin, the mandatory three seconds elapse, and the operator declares the dog victorious. Adults and children cheer for the fast, powerful dog.