Investigating financial aspects of dog‐fighting in the UK

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to discuss financial aspects of illegal dog‐fighting in the UK and to reflect upon and discuss the difficulties of researching illegal entrepreneurial activities such as dog‐fighting which are operated for criminal profit. Such activities are conducted by urban criminals often in a rural setting. Such crimes invariably occur in a closed social milieu to which the authorities and the academic researcher cannot legitimately gain access. In this case the illegal activities, as well as being status and animal welfare crimes, can legitimately be regarded as being an entrepreneurial activity as they entail trading in a Kirznerian sense as well as financial implications associated with gambling. Design/methodology/approach - The methodological approach used in this article is that of desk‐based research to locate and review academic articles in relation to the illegal activity of dog‐fighting and to synthesise this knowledge with empirical material gathered from a search of British newspapers on the subject to develop an aperçus in relation to financial aspects of the crime. Findings - Very little is known about the financial aspects of illegal dog‐fighting in the UK. It is an activity shrouded in secrecy. The primary purpose of the activity is to engage in gaming activities with the intention of making money. This qualifies it as a financial crime. Originality/value - The paper is of value because of its novelty and also because it highlights the difficulties in investigating certain illegal entrepreneurial criminal activities. It is vital to conduct such research because otherwise the subject matter would be ignored by the research community.