Guam – There has been a strange silence on dog fighting in recent years, but the topic has resurfaced after a couple videos of dog fights were seen circulating on the internet.
The graphic video shows two blood-smeared pit bulls in a gruesome fight, as spectators are heard cheering them on, shouting “Yigo” and “blood” a word that has been associated with gangs.
The dog fight purportedly took place in Yigo. While Yigo Mayor Rudy Matanane says it’s the first time he’s heard of dog fighting in his village, it’s not something he tolerates.
The video was first posted on the Facebook page of a man who calls himself Enots Malon. His page has since been taken down, but some concerned citizens caught wind of it just in time. The man also claims to be a member of the “Yigo Bloods” gang. PNC learned about the video through guamblog.tumblr.com.
Yigo Mayor Rudy Matanane says he’s never heard of dog fighting in his village, let alone the Yigo Blood gang. And this dog fighting video, he says it’s the first time he’s even seen it.
“To be honest with you I’m pretty sure that it’s not going on here as far as I know and those kinds of things leak out pretty fast and I haven’t heard it unless that’s something just recently,” says Matanane.
Whether or not the video was taken in his village, Matanane is dismayed. The mayor is a dog lover and in fact, heads the Mayors’ Council’s Stray Animal Committee. He’s raised many dogs before, he says, including pit bulls.
“These pit bulls, they say that they’re just made to fight. I’ve raised pit bulls and they’re one of the most friendlist dogs I’ve ever seen,” remarks Matanane.
And the Yigo mayor says he won’t tolerate dog fighting in his village.
“I just want the residents to know that, as an official, I will note tolerate it. It’s against the law and I’m probably gonna have to pursue to get them penalized, whatever the penalties are,” he warns.
Mayor Matanane also says he’s never heard of the Yigo Bloods. In fact, he notes, gangs have not been a huge problem in his village, except for a few minor incidents.
“As far as I’m concerned, they’re all rumors until I see it. Gangs are okay, but when you put something like ‘Yigo Blood’ gang–‘blood’ is not supposed to be there because this is a community that I’m trying to promote as a peaceful community,” he laments.
Before it was taken down, Malon’s facebook page included pictures adorned with the color red, recognized as the color of the gang Bloods in any part of the world. It had pictures of men holding up gang signs, and even one of Malon himself with a child holding a can of beer. Some of these pictures can still be seen online at guamblog.tumblr.com.
Public Law 29-96, passed in 2008, made dog fighting illegal on Guam. Anyone caught and convicted of engaging in dog fighting could be sent to prison.
