In late May, SHARK investigators were in Oklahoma at a suspected cockfighting and dogfighting property. What we found there were starving dogs covered in flies and roosters living in flooded cages. I stayed in Oklahoma all week to get these animals help.

It turned out that the owner and abuser of the animals a member of the local Native American tribe and therefore it fell to the Tribal Marshal Service (TMS) to investigate.

The good news is that our work forced the owner to get the dogs much needed veterinary care. The bad news is that the TMS shockingly downplayed the situation and has taken no legal action. When confronted about this, and that the dog was covered in flies, he said, “This is Oklahoma, flies are all over the place."

How can anyone look at this picture and write off her suffering by saying something like that? Unfortunately, law enforcement unwilling to do their job has been a consistent problem when it comes to protecting animals.

A few years ago, we told you of a pig wrestling event at the St. Patrick’s Parish in Wisconsin that was shut down thanks to SHARK’s efforts. Pig wrestling is a vile event where men, women and children tackle pigs by punching them in the face, kicking and body-slamming them for fun.

We learned of another such event that was held at the Caldron Falls Bar and Grill in Northern Wisconsin. SHARK Investigator Mike Kobliska attended the event and obtained videotape of the horrible abuse the pigs suffer as well as the event MC, exposing himself to the drunken crowd while children watched. We supplied videotape of the incident to law enforcement, and he was cited for Disorderly Conduct.

We are now thrilled to report pig wrestling has been permanently canceled at this location. We waited to report this news to be certain this wasn’t just a COVID-related stoppage, but the new owners of the bar confirmed that the pig wrestling is gone permanently and it has been replaced with a car show!

Constant pursuit of animal abusers is an absolute must. This is a large part of why SHARK is more productive than other groups. We don't sit in offices - we are in the field. Unfortunately, this costs money for fuel, food, lodging, wear and tear on vehicles and equipment. Travel isn't fun when you're chasing animals abusers. It's not fun at all, but it is vital to make positive change.