Bear baiting (torture) is illegal in 49 states except SC

Bear baiting is illegal is 49 states, except SC

A captured black bear is tethered to a stake, surrounded by hundreds of onlookers. Her captors have mutilated her by cutting or removing her claws and many of her teeth. She is timid, terrified, and defenseless. Three hounds run at the bear from one end of the arena, barking furiously. Some of them bite and tear at her sensitive nose and ears. Others jump on her. She backs up on her hind legs, trying vainly to shield her face. The assault continues for four hours, as nearly 300 dogs attack her in quick succession. Hundreds of paying spectators cheer as the bear is brutalized. This spectacle is a bear baiting competition, called a "bear bay" by participants, and it’s illegal everywhere on earth except for South Carolina. Most people have never seen these underground events, because organizers try to keep the practice away from the public eye.