<P> New York Animal Control Officer Kleinfelder says, "For pro athletes, it's not about the money...Instead of boxers just beating up on each other, they want to see it go to the death, and with dogs they can let it go that far . To them, dogs are expendable ." </P> <P> Rhonda Evans is a sociologist and associate professor in the department of criminal justice at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette who has published four academic articles on dog fighting . She stated in a story published by the Palm Beach Post that she had found that owners of high - dollar fighting dogs spanned all walks of life and social classes, with a common link of "a machismo mentality ." Evans said "For them, tough dogs are a symbol of manhood...and by winning, the dogs build up their owners' ego . They see it as a valid, legitimate sport that is no worse than boxing or football ." </P> <P> Rap and other urban music also seem to glorify dog fighting . Jay - Z shows dogs being prepared for a fight in the uncensored version of his music video, 99 Problems . A powerful - looking pit bull is on the cover of a CD by rapper DMX that is titled Grand Champ . "Grand Champ" is said to be a reference to a dog that has won five dogfights . </P> <P> Madison Avenue advertising firms have capitalized on the same theme . When Nike was criticized about an ad featuring a growling pit bull and Rottweiler about to face off, the company denied the ad encourages dog fighting . The representative went on to state, however, "People have to understand the youth culture we cater to . Our market is the urban, edgy, hip - hop culture ." </P>

History of dog fighting in the united states