Cruel pit bull fighting women exposed by TV probe swaps blood sports for dog contests.
A CO. Armagh women exposed as a central player in the depraved world of dog fighting is now running family friendly dog shows. Fiona Devlin, 29, pictured here with her prize winning Lurcher, was featured in the 2007 groundbreaking BBC Spotlight expose which unearthed the barbaric world of pit bull fighting.
Despite her young years Devlin was shown to be an avid fan of the sickening blood sport which sees dogs literally tear each other apart. The brave undercover reporter who exposed the gang, Steve Ibinson, who has since tragically, recorded Devlin boasting about her involvement in the so-called sport. He said : “She may be a woman, but she had absolutely no problems about fighting her dog. She loved pitbull fights.
Idolised
“She idolised Stephen Barriskill because he was the top man in dog fighting. Devlin had no bother watching the dogs rip each other apart and she wasn’t concerned about the sight of blood. “She often said that she liked nothing better than to bring her dogs to a fight. She may well have attended legitimate dog shows, but she loved the fights.” Immediately after the broadcast Devlin went into hiding and refused to apologise or acknowledge her role in the vicious and illegal sport. But it wasn’t long before Devlin was nabbed again this time by Dungannon Borough Council who ordered her to surrender her pitbull terrier she claimed she kept as a pet. After a member of the public raised concerns about the animal, it was examined by the council’s dog warden and later removed from her home. Animal lovers feared the dog-fight organiser had been grooming the animal to appear in future fights. Devlin moved to Co. Tyrone from Armagh after she was subjected to verbal abuse by animal lovers at legitimate dog shows in the county. Calls were also made for Devlin to be banned from dog shows across the North of Ireland.
But, it was all water under the bridge now and Devlin is back in the heart of the closely knit and competitive world of dog shows. As our exclusive pictures show Devlin is no longer camera shy now poses with her prize winning pooches at events across Ireland and the UK. On Saturday Devlin smiled as she welcomed dog lovers and children to her event “Fiona Devlin’s Dog Show which took place at the Annaghmore Raceway in Co. Armagh. A flyer for the show reads : “The Northern Ireland Sporting Dog Club are holding their Dog Show and Racing on Saturday the 1st June 2013, at Annaghmore Raceway. “Racing for Lurchers and Whippets. Entries from 10am “The show will be the qualifer for the 5 Nations at Birr Castle, and both the winners of the under and overs will be qualifers for the Master McGrath. “ALL WELCOME “And anyone who wants to come up from the south over night or further afield, Please ring Fiona in good time for dog friendly Bed and Breakfast if they plan an overnight stay.” A member of the publc who contacted the Sunday World said Devlin is a familiar sight in the area walking her dogs. “She is rarely seen without her dogs actually. I can’t get my head around anybody that claims to be a dog lover but is capable of even watching a dog fight. “It dosn’t make any sence. It is one of the most horrific forms of animal abuse.” Stephen Philpot chief executive of the USPCA told the Sunday World he was unaware of Saturday’s dog show.
Radar
“This is the first I have heard about it,” he said. “It sounds like it is a legitimate and Fiona Devlin hasn’t been on our radar for years. Maybe she learnt her lesson from then.” Illegal dog fights are a huge source of income for criminal gangs with thousands of pounds being wagered on each bloody contest. Cops suspect that may bde one of the reasons behind a spate of recent dog thefts around Northern Ireland. The BBC Spotlight programme revealed there were 15 dog fighting gangs operating in Nortern Ireland. The programme alleged that a prominent figure in the illegal sport was All-Ireland medal winner Geard Cavlan who was fined £650 and ordered to pay more than £4,000 costs after he was caught with an unmuzzled and badly scarred pitbull terrier. The Dungannon man was dropped by the Tyrone GAA team but insisted he did not own the dog and did not cindone dog fighting.
With many thanks to : Eavan Murray, Sunday World.
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