Cruel thieves are dog-napping pet pooches to feed the bloodlust of their fighting canines.

Assistant Animal Warden Fabian Minors told The Royal Gazette that five Pit Bulls were stolen over the festive period and he fears they may have ended up as target practice.

It is understood that in the underground world of Bermuda's dog fighting fraternity, smaller Pit Bulls are muzzled and left to be attacked in one-sided contests to give combatants a taste for the battle.

By giving them a muzzled opponent, the canines can practice fighting without fear of injury, making them more valuable in this apparently lucrative but barbaric sub-culture.

“It is very sad, but this is what appears to be happening,” said Mr. Minors, who said just one of the missing dogs has been recovered.

“Dog fighting is a silent world, but we are looking into it and are doing our best to catch the perpetrators. If there is evidence against anyone we would very much like to take people to court on this because of the level of cruelty.

“People don't want to be seen to be telling on their neighbours, but we would urge anyone who has any information about this or any cruelty towards dogs to come forward and report it.

“It takes a lot of manpower to investigate these things but any help we can get from members of the public would be greatly appreciated.

“Not only do we have to be good dog owners, we have to be good dog citizens and any offences should be reported.”

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Chairman Andrew Madeiros shares Mr. Minor's concerns and is keen to condemn the practice of dog fighting.

“Dog fighting is something that we are aware of and something we are always keen to prosecute,” he told The Royal Gazette.

“It is very difficult to get to the bottom of but occasionally we do see animals with bite injuries consistent with this practice.

“It is certainly something that the SPCA is doing whatever it can to solve - these animals suffer a horrible fate.

“These people don't operate with the same standards as the rest of society, they treat animals like a commodity - an item that can be replenished.

“People like this use animals to improve their social status. That is very sad.”

The Care and Protection of Animals Act 1975 covers dog fighting, beating, general ill-treatment, or causing unnecessary suffering, along with many other matters.

These offences may be caused by acts of commission or omission and in the case of dog fighting also include people who manage or assist in the management of premises used for fighting.

More than 40,000 people are thought to be involved in dog fighting in the US, becoming increasingly prevalent courtesy of the Internet.

Mr. Minors is urging anyone who has any information about dog fighting or any other form of animal cruelty to contact his office on 236 4201.

He added that anyone interested in an eight-week dog training programme, which begins on Monday, January 12, should also contact him.