Deflated Numbers Of Dog Fighters, Inflated Numbers Of Tigers

                               I remember a prominent animal organization throwing out a ridiculously low figure regarding the numbers of dog fighters in the United States. When I challenged one of their officials about the number and on what basis his organization arrived at it, he sheepishly avoided answering. Years later, when Michael Vick was arrested for dog fighting, the same organization threw out the same ridiculously low figure. Because of their powerful brand name, everyone took their figures on blind faith. When this organization and others were all over the Michael Vick story, granted expert status and enormous free media coverage by the as usual unquestioning media, no one questioned their "facts".
                            When we approached a number of these organizations with the information and documentation that with few exceptions(such as Michael Vick), law enforcement was ignoring and not responding to dog fighting, they did not lift a finger. Looking back on the matter, I believe now that the weaker law enforcement is in responding to dog fighting and animal cruelty, the more these organizations can continue to fill the vacuum with phony, ineffective programs, campaigns and initiatives. The more they are perceived as the experts and answer to dog fighting and animal cruelty, the more the money pours into their coffers. The Michael Vick situation handed them a cash cow, and they in return gave to the public and to their too often lemming like donors more of their ineffective programs and illusions.
                         In an article in a recent issue of a reputable science magazine, it was implied that certain conservation organizations were using outdated methods to count tigers, perhaps because these methods allow them to inflate the number of tigers in the wild, thus allowing these organizations to appear successful in their tiger conservation efforts.
                          Why would an organization deflate the number of dog fighters, or just randomly throw out a number which happens to be deflated? Why would another organization inflate the number of an endangered species in the wild? The words self serving and lazy come to mind. What also comes to mind is that when people stop being so uncritical and easily fooled, things will finally change for the better.