Dogged brutality (6)

"A fighting dog of this kind costs 10,000 yuan to raise and train annually. But if it wins the game, its value will be several times higher than the cost," Han Meng, a dog fighting player in Changchun, Jilin Province, was quoted by the Beijing News as saying earlier, adding that in a bid to improve their fighting ability, illegal drugs are also often used on them.

"A dog fed with this can't finish four rounds in a match and usually in the third round, it will lose its strength and fighting ability," Du Zhipu, an expert on American Pit Bull Terrier, was quoted by the magazine as saying.

Most dogs wounded or killed during the fight will be served on the dinner table, and only a small number of them will be raised as pets. Even the victors can only look forward to a retirement punctuated with serious injuries and diseases.

Gambling on dog fighting is illegal in China. Participants are detained and given sentences of up to three years of imprisonment, and fined up to 3,000 yuan, Wang Zhenyu, a law researcher with the China University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times.

"Dog fighting is not lucrative at all, however, huge profits can still be accumulated through gambling," Wang said, adding that this inhumane behavior should be dealt with and cracked down on with no leniency.