Bill probably did it for all the wrong reasons, but it’s to our benefit (to say nothing of the dogs’) that he did it at all.

The Cruelty to Animals Act banned dog fighting as a ‘sport’ in the UK in 1835, and even then it was considered barbaric, but Bill George had grown up, so to speak, in the sport (he had been a bare-knuckle fighter, himself, who later apprenticed to a Bulldog breeder). Up until the ban, Bill bred and handled Bulldogs as fighting dogs out of “Canine Castle” in Kensal New Town, London What was a bloke to do when his business was suddenly outlawed?

Bill thought “laterally.” He started to market the Bulldog as pets leading to one of the most remarkable “reinventions” in purebred dog history. He bred Bulldogs in three different sizes – in fact, he was among the first to breed a “toy” size that would become an ancestor to French bulldogs and Boston terriers, and then he promoted them as devoted companions. The public ate it up.

To Bill’s good fortune, dog shows started to come of age around the same time, and guess who had Bulldog stock? Bill. Ol’ Bill was starting to get some respectability, and he liked to brag that even Charles Dickens visited his premises to research “Bull’s Eye,” the dog belonging to the villainous Bill Sikes.

Bill also branched out into Mastiffs. “Governor,” a famous Mastiff at the beginning of the dog show era, was out of a sire named “Adam” whom Bill had purchased at Tattersalls. “Adam” was reputed to be one of the Lyme Hall mastiffs, a line established by Sir Piers Legh out of the bitch that had protected him at the Battle of Agincourt.

As they say, if you can’t be good, be lucky. Bill George was certainly one or the other, and sometimes both. For more on this chapter in the Bulldog’s history, be sure to read Amy Fernandez’s wonderfully comprehensive article here.

As an aside, as of 2008, dog fighting in America is a felony in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It’s also a felony in most states to be in possession of dogs kept for the purpose of fighting, and being a spectator at a dogfight is illegal everywhere but Montana and Hawaii. This hardly means that dog fights don’t happen. There’s big money (and crime) with this horrific activity, and don’t be fooled into thinking it can’t impact you. Many years ago, our family dog, a Cairn Terrier, was stolen out of our car and used as “bait” in dog fight training. The magnitude of the miracle that he survived six months was exceeded by the fact that we recovered him when the dog fighting ring was broken up by police who’d seen our flyers, and called us to identify him. This beloved pet was nurtured and spoiled until his death years later, but he was never the same dog he’d been.

The culture of dog fighting is a very dangerous one. If you suspect such activity, call your local police department, but don’t try handling it yourself.

“Dozer” by Andrew Kubica is available as a print, poster and greeting card here