Rubee's Story

Rubee has a message she wears on her body. It is written in the scars on her face. It is a story created in dark rooms and hidden locations and told by Rubee’s limp, injured leg. Rubee has a message - one of pain, cruelty, mercy, and hope. Rubee’s story is experienced too often but isn’t told nearly enough. Rubee is kind, and gentle, and submissive. Rubee is a bait dog, and this is her story.

Most people have at least heard of dog fighting. Many have seen the pictures of the losers. Entire breeds suffer discrimination as a result of a stereotype created in a fighting ring by no choice of the dogs who are trapped there. What many don’t see are the hidden victims, the bait dogs. Chosen for their gentle and submissive nature, bait dogs live in deplorable conditions. They don’t even see the same sub-par care as a fighter or a breeder dog. You see, bait dogs are little more than a tool to those who use them. Used up and cast aside. Bait dogs are a punching bag, a practice run, an easy kill. In order to keep their prize dogs sharp, fighters use bait dogs to train their warriors for the ring. Often, dogs like Rubee have their muzzles tied shut to prevent them from putting up any kind of defense.

Imagine being bound and frightened, thrown into a ring with another who has been taught the stakes – kill or be killed. Imagine lying defenselessly as your flesh is ripped apart, your bones are broken. Imagine surviving only to know you will repeat the process again and again until you’re used up. How many of us, after being beaten and broken, would still show love, would still look trustingly at others. This is Rubee’s story.

 

For Rubee, being dumped was meant to be an ending. But Rubee is a different kind of fighter. Rubee came to Southern Pines scarred and lame. She entered foster care in hopes she would spend her last couple days in comfort and surrounded by love. We feared the worst, but Rubee asked us to have faith. On Day 2, she surrounded herself with toys. Day 3, Rubee showed us she wanted to walk. We discovered she had been shot, at least once, in the leg. She continued to show a determination not to miss out on this new kind of life. Each day Rubee shines, and we feel lucky to have her still here.

And while each day is a struggle and a miracle, we don’t know for sure yet how Rubee’s journey will end. But Rubee casts a light on a cruel world hidden in shadow. A world that takes so much from the dogs it holds hostage – their happiness, health, and reputations. You see, the world of dog fighting was created by humans and holds many victims. Bait dogs like Rubee, family pets stolen and used as practice, mother dogs bred like a factory to keep business going. Even the warriors, the prize fighters are victims – conditioned and trained to fight. Taught to be the meanest and toughest, to find victory or pay the price.

Rubee limped scarred and fragile into our lives with a message, a call for help. Her story is terrible and frightening and unnecessary. But Rubee brings a warning. This horrific world that seems so far away from many of us could be down the street, around the corner, just next door. Maybe Rubee started out as a beloved family pet just like yours. In the world of dog fighting there is no safety. If a bait dog can’t be found or bred – they’re stolen – from your backyard while you aren’t home, from just down the street where your dog goes to play. Your sweet, gentle loving dog is a target. Rubee’s story could be yours. Together, we can hear Rubee’s plea. Together we can take on a different kind of fight. Together we can let Rubee’s story make a difference.

Animal welfare organizations have taken up the fight. But we can’t do it alone. If you have information about possible dog fighting in your area or know someone who is involved in this terrible world, please contact your local law enforcement or Southern Pines Animal Shelter. The Humane Society of the United States even offers a $5000 reward for any information leading to the breakup of a dog fighting ring. Do it for the thousands of victims suffering every day, do it for the bait dogs like Rubee, do it for your own pet. Rubee has a story, won’t you help us tell it?