Dog fighting is a horrific form of animal abuse. Like the gladiators of Roman days, dogs are enslaved to their masters and forced to fight to the death and rip each other apart for human entertainment. Courtesy: Paw Justice
Tiki Taane has released a new single aimed at exposing and eradicating dog fighting in New Zealand.
The award-winning artist says writing Enough is Enough was the "hardest thing" he has done in his music career.
Its lyrics were composed after he crowd-sourced material from New Zealanders who are concernedabout dog fighting.
About 300 people submitted words, poems and chords that became the core of the song.
"A clear pattern emerged in what they were saying. This is where the title of the song, Enough is Enough came from. The song represents the voice of New Zealanders and the fact they will not tolerate this sinister form of animal abuse," Taane says.
"We recently located and rescued a dog from handlers through micro-chipping and returned him to his owners. Sadly he was like a soldier returning from war. He was a shell of his former self and it was clear judging from his scars that he had been put through immense emotional and physical abuse."
Dogs that lose fights are often killed by owners who don't want to develop a reputation for breeding inferior dogs.
Other animals including cats, rabbits and starved and dehydrated dogs are also affected by the sport - as owners use them in training as "bait".
Dunn's fellow Paw Justice co-founder Shaughan Campbell played the lead role of a menacing dog fighter in the video for Enough is Enough.
He said the part helped him realise the horror of dog fighting.
"We approached a number of actors to play the lead part but none accepted as they did not want to be associated with such a cruel and vicious sport. So I stepped in and played the part. Even though I was acting, I was shaken and horrified after each take."
