Seattle Humane Society offers $5,000 for tips on dog-fighting rings

Seattle Humane Society is hoping that a cash incentive will provide tips about dog-fighting rings in King County.

The group said it will give $5,000 to the person whose dog-fighting tip leads to the arrest and conviction of anyone associated with the blood sport in the county.

"Dog fighting is a heinous crime," the group's chief executive officer, Brenda Barnette, said at a news conference today. "These are animals who want to do nothing more than to make us happy."

The reward comes as dog-fighting allegations against Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and others bring national attention to the illegal underground activity.

King County prosecutor Dan Satterberg said no one has been prosecuted for dog-fighting in King County, but "there's no reason to think it doesn't exist."

He said that both dog and cock fighting occur in King County and around the state, primarily in rural areas and among close-knit ethnic groups.

Any association with dog fighting is a felony in Washington, he said.

Mary Leake Schilder, spokeswoman for the Progressive Animal Welfare Society, said it is hard to track dog fighting and prove it is happening, but the reward might help.

"Definitely money is a good motivator for a lot of people," said Leake Schilder.

Christina Siderius: csiderius@seattletimes.com