Two individuals have been sentenced to prison for orchestrating vicious dog fights in a basement that prolonged for several hours. Asif Ali, aged 33, and Sohail Hussain, aged 46, were found guilty of arranging the deadly matches involving bull breeds in Birmingham. Ali was linked to the On Smoke Kennels brand, where he trained dogs in a basement on Ash Road in Alum Rock, also utilizing the same location for hosting the fights.
According to Birmingham Crown Court, one of Ali’s dogs, named Roxy, met a fatal end during one of the fights. Hussain was associated with UK Gladiators, a kennel brand that sourced dogs from both within and outside the UK for fighting purposes. Organized dog fighting has been outlawed in Britain since 1835.
Both offenders confessed to charges of keeping or training animals for fighting, causing animals to engage in fights, and inflicting needless suffering on animals. Ali additionally admitted to possessing items intended for animal fights. The sentencing led to Ali receiving 17 months in jail, while Hussain was handed 21 months behind bars. Furthermore, they were both permanently prohibited from owning animals.
Inside the Ash Road basement, authorities discovered scales, a treadmill, and harnesses, along with an area designated for fights, some of which were recorded on video. Ali promoted events through the OSK brand and kept four fighting dogs, three of which sustained injuries between October 2022 and September 2023. On the other hand, Hussain managed a subscription website named ‘Team Gladiatorz,’ which offered fight reports and advertised dogs.
Messages revealed Hussain’s involvement in arranging events and discussions about breeding and selling ‘killer dogs,’ as well as plans to expand operations into Europe. Two rescued dogs from Ash Road were found with multiple scars and puncture wounds on various parts of their bodies.
During sentencing, Judge Paul Farrer KC condemned the defendants for their involvement in organizing dog fights on a large scale, labeling the activity as extremely cruel. He highlighted the prolonged nature of the fights, the high fatality rate among dogs, and the severe injuries sustained, emphasizing the inhumane essence of the practice.
In a bid for leniency, the court heard that Ali is a father caring for his mother, while Hussain, wheelchair-bound due to a spinal injury from a past shooting incident over 15 years ago, had a prior conviction for attending a dogfight.
