Barbaric dogfighting ring where spectators ate defeated dogs

Dozens of people were arrested in Brazil’s biggest city for alleged ties to an international dogfighting ring, after a raid on a dogfight that included a “macabre ritual” of serving barbecued dog meat to spectators, authorities said Monday.

Nineteen pit bulls were rescued from the property on the outskirts of Sao Paulo’s metropolitan area. Police said it was part of an international dogfighting circuit held last year in the Dominican Republic.

“It was absolute horror,” said Parana state Police Commissioner Matheus Laiola.

“There were dead dogs, wounded dogs. A dog that had died was being roasted for food, and pepper was inserted into the snout of the animals to make them angry for the fights.”

An American man from California was acting as referee of the dogfight when police raided the property Saturday night and a Mexican man and Peruvian man were also present, police officials said at a news conference.

People around the world placed online bets on the fights, police said. Photos and video footage provided by police showed malnourished animals with bloody gouges on their faces. One of the dogs, laid out on an ironing board, appeared unable to lift itself.