A movie and snacks help show the ugly world of dog fighting, and teach students about how they can be involved in the legislative process

By Jon Dunn, Best Friends Animal Society

A large table greeted students in the film room of the Student Learning Center at the University of Georgia. Leaflets covered the table with information about giving up meat, legislative work for animals, but the main topic this night was dog fighting.

Last Monday, a group of students at the University of Georgia set out to educate their fellow Georgia Bulldogs. The film “Off the Chain” was shown to the more than 50 students who attended to learn more about the evils of dog fighting and to learn how they can help.

The movie is incredibly hard to watch, with graphic scenes of dog fighting and the aftermath of those fights. At several moments during the film, the students in attendance winced as dogs tore each other to pieces. They laughed incredulously when a masked man spoke of how much he “loved his dogs.” But the lessons learned are valuable ones, that the evil world of dog fighting is one that needs to be stopped.

Best Friends Animal Society Legislative Coordinator, Pat White took the opportunity to speak to the students after the film. “There are two things in the world that sometimes you don’t want to see made: laws and sausage. But know one thing; lawmakers will listen as soon as they know you are a voter in their district.”

The students responded well to the film and the talk afterwards. Many wondered how they could help the efforts of the dog fighting bill currently making its way through the Legislature.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Join this campaign!

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Contact your lawmakers!

Please make sure you contact your Georgia lawmakers. Letting them know that there are people in their respective districts that support the legislation is the best way to let them know that they need to vote for the bill!

Please use the following link to find out who your lawmakers are (use the zip +4 search box on the left), and then look under the resources tab above to find a sample letter that you are more than welcome to use as a template. Again, a show of force is so important in a political campaign, so make sure to tell your friends to e-mail their representatives too!

Photos Courtesy of Pruddle, and Josh Hallett, via Wiki Commons