Two individuals have been incarcerated for orchestrating brutal dog fighting events in an underground space that extended for lengthy periods.
Asif Ali, aged 33, and Sohail Hussain, aged 46, coordinated these lethal competitions at a substantial level by setting up confrontations between bull breeds in Birmingham. Ali was linked to the On Smoke Kennels enterprise, where he trained dogs in a basement located at an address on Ash Road, Alum Rock, which also served as the venue for the fights.
During one of these events, a dog named Roxy, owned by Ali, met a tragic fate. Hussain was affiliated with a kennel brand named UK Gladiators, which procured dogs locally and internationally for fighting purposes. Dog fighting has been prohibited in the UK since 1835.
Both admitted to training or keeping animals for fighting, instigating animal fights, and causing undue suffering to animals. Ali also confessed to possessing items intended for animal fighting purposes, as reported by BirminghamLive.
Ali received a 17-month prison sentence, while Hussain was imprisoned for 21 months. Additionally, both were indefinitely banned from owning animals. A variety of equipment, including scales, a treadmill, and harnesses, were discovered in the basement on Ash Road, alongside an area designated for hosting fights, some of which were recorded.
Ali promoted events through the OSK brand and kept four fighting dogs from October 2022 to September 2023, three of which sustained injuries. Hussain managed a subscription website called ‘Team Gladiatorz,’ which offered fight reports and advertised dogs.
He supplied dogs for fights at Ash Road and coordinated events. Correspondences unveiled Hussain discussing breeding and selling ‘killer dogs,’ as well as plans to expand operations into Europe.
Two rescued dogs from Ash Road exhibited multiple scars and puncture wounds on their head, legs, and chest.
Judge Paul Farrer KC, during sentencing, remarked, “These offenses stem from your involvement in organizing dog fights on a substantial scale. This is an activity of extreme cruelty, where dogs are conditioned to fight despite severe injuries.”
“Fights can last for hours, resulting in fatalities or post-fight deaths. Surviving dogs are usually injured but cannot seek medical care due to the identifiable nature of their injuries.”
He continued, “Individuals engaging in dog fighting do so for perverse pleasure, financial gains from gambling, and to enhance their status among peers. This is applicable in your cases.”
In their defense, it was revealed in court that Ali, a father, assisted in caring for his mother. Hussain, confined to a wheelchair due to a spinal injury from a shooting over 15 years ago, had a prior conviction from 2006 for attending a dogfight.
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