358 C Lawson establishment (2009, p 28) Lockwood (2012, p 4) notes an awakening, fuelled by the very high-profile conviction and incarceration of Vick, with new successful, multi-state, interagency operations resulting in large numbers of arrests and dogs seized Such interagency collaboration is beginning to be employed in the UK, with one animal fighting case resulting in £25k being seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act (2002) Smith suggests the inclusion of ‘financial crime investigators and asset confiscation officers would be a valuable and welcome innovation’ (2011, p 343), which is entirely feasible given this is already happening in the detection of puppy breeding and trafficking offences The RSPCA’s Special Operation Unit are not able to mirror US enforcement tactics, due to the moral aspects of not being able to participate or even watch a dog fight take place or indeed watch several and perhaps fight a dog themselves in order to infiltrate the ring Such tactics may also not please the courts of England and Wales and put into question the admissibility of evidence Lengthy and sustained surveillance is, therefore, crucial in the detection of this crime The dog fighters have learned not to keep their dogs at home in case the RSPCA come to the door and so only careful and thorough observation with intelligence-led work can determine where the dogs are being kept to enable the best chance of conviction This aspect could, however, be addressed through the introduction of specific recording practices to include the police, RSPCA and the courts, which would crucially involve the details of the species and the level of organisation involved Perhaps related to both categories above of education and enforcement is that of the awareness campaign aimed at those with no formal relationship to dog fighting These are utilised in the USA to aid in the detection and reporting of dog fighting, such as the ASPCA’s community guides (above) and the HSUS’s public service announcements detailing a $5,000 reward for information that leads to a conviction In the UK, the League Against Cruel Sports has adopted a similar role, running conferences and public campaigns to raise awareness of the problem and operating an ‘Animal Crimewatch’ hotline for the reporting of dog fighting—although details surrounding actions taken in connection with any such reports, are relatively vague, with the suggestion they may be simply passed to another organisation.13 Clearly all such press and awareness campaigns have an important role in reminding the public that this barbaric ‘sport’ has not yet been confined to 13 http://www.league.org.uk/get-involved/help-put-an-end-to-animal-cruelty