Date: 9-10 February 2016

In human history, dogs and roosters have been used in different baiting practices because of their supposedly aggressive spirit and unyielding courage. Historians have noted that dogs were baited against other animals (such as bears and bulls) in the Roman Coliseum, while cockfighting was a famous ‘entertainment’ in open-space pits in many parts of the world as early as almost 3000 years from now. Up until the 18th century, both baiting activities were famous in England, where many aristocrats and nobles were devotees to these activities, and the culture of baiting was introduced into many colonies. However, the British banned these activities with the “Protection of Cruelty Act” in 1835 in England, and later on in 1891 in India after constant pressure from animal welfare groups.

After its independence in 1947, the Pakistani Government adopted the 1891 Act for animal cruelty developed by the British, and it is still intact, however, due to a very low fine (about $0.5) and no imprisonment, these activities go unabated. Drawing on my 10 months of ethnographic fieldwork in South Punjab Pakistan, I discuss the dynamics of dogfighting and cockfighting, specifically focussing on the intertwining connection between masculinity, gender, and the animal’s perspective. By exploring the ‘seduction,’ ‘passion,’ and ‘thrill’ of dogfighting and cockfighting, I examine the masculine attributes of these activities, the economy they involve, the time and effort they take, and the way they shape/form relationships between humans and between humans and animals.