Donnie Anderson and the economics of dog fighting

The FBI recently posted information about someone to pleaded guilty to charges of staging dog fights. If you examine the FBI post, there are a number of issues involved, including humane treatment of animals, privacy issues related to wiretapping, and how participation in one criminal activity can result in participation in other criminal activities.

But there are also business issues involved. Dog fighting is, after all, a business - the organizers don't do it for free.

In his plea agreement, [Donnie] Anderson admitted to organizing and holding dog fights—mostly in the Auburn, Alabama area—from 2009 to 2013, as well as charging spectators an entrance fee of between $100 to $150 (although owners of dogs fighting at that particular event got in for free). He also said that dog owners and spectators were betting on the outcome of the fights, putting up a total of anywhere between $20,000 and $200,000 per fight.

Unfortunately - and sadly - there are also issues that arise due to rapid depreciation of company assets.

After a fight, the losing dog is often killed.