Key points
- Illegal dog fights were due to take place in the village of Ternivka, Kryvyi Rih district, Dnipropetrovsk region – animal rights activists disrupted the event.
- According to the activists, such events involve cash bets and prizes for the winners, effectively making them a form of profiting from animal cruelty.
- Once the footage was made public, the organisers and participants began fleeing the scene.
- A complaint has been filed with the police, and a criminal case has been opened on grounds of cruelty to animals.
Illegal dog fights were being held in the village of Ternivka, Kryvyi Rih district, Dnipropetrovsk region. Activists from the animal welfare organisation Plyushka recorded the preparations for the event.
Snizhana Buhrik, co-founder of Plyushka, has shared video footage from the scene.
The footage shows dogs being set on one another, with those present cheering on the fights. The animals sustain injuries, and no one steps in to stop the abuse.
According to the activists, such events are typically accompanied by cash bets, entry fees and prizes for the winners.
This is effectively an illegal betting operation and a way of profiting from cruelty to animals.
– Plyushka animal welfare organisation.
The organisers often justify these fights as a way of testing a particular breed, but this is in breach of Ukrainian law.
This is not a sport. This is not a trial. This is cruelty to animals, a crime and an unlawful activity.
– Plyushka.
After the activists made the footage public, the organisers and participants left the scene within 10 minutes.
Following a complaint from Plyushka, Kryvyi Rih police have opened a criminal case on grounds of cruelty to animals. Those involved in organising the fights are currently being identified.
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