Every Dogfight Has Its Day

Yes, these are my dogs. And they are not fighting. They’re begging!

I see where “dogfighting” is back in the news. Sen. Chip Rogers, of Woodstock, has re-introduced a bill in the state senate that would make it a felony to fight dogs or train them for fighting.

I always get amused when the subject comes up, but not because I endorse any fisticuffs between Fido and Spot. I have to laugh because of something that happened to me – or nearly happened to me – my first year as a reporter at The Telegraph.

A new golf course had opened in Warner Robins, and I was assigned to go out and talk to the new owners. One of them graciously drove me around in a golf cart to show me the course. As we rode, he talked about plans for upcoming tournaments and club events.

“We also plan to have a few dogfights,’’ he said, as we neared the 18th hole and the clubhouse came into view.

“Dogfights?” I stammered.

“Yeah, dogfights,’’ he repeated.

OK, I was 22 years old, fresh out of college and wet behind the ears. I did not realize what he meant by “dogfight” and what I thought he meant by “dogfight’’ were two entirely different things.

I rushed back to the office and told my boss, Randall Savage, what the new owner had said. Randall was the bureau chief in Warner Robins at the time. (He later won a Pulitzer Prize for the Telegraph and is now a senior reporter at WMAZ-TV.)

“Dogfights?” Randall said. “That's illegal. Are you sure?” His mustache started twitching like it always did when he caught the scent of a good story.

“Yes!!!” I screamed. We both smelled blood.

It took a few phone calls, including one to the sheriff’s department, before somebody finally set the record straight.

Dogfights are a type of golf competition. (In the military, it’s also a battle between two or more aircraft.)

Oh.

Fortunately, that’s one story that never saw the light of day or I probably wouldn’t be around to blog another day.