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Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Team Up To Fight For Man's Best Friend

Source - Knock Out Dog Fighting:

Mixed Martial Arts fighters knock out dog fighting.

August 19, 2009 -- Some of the world's top Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters came together at the popular San Jose, California sports bar and grill, Britannia Arms-Almaden, for a benefit on Saturday August 15, 2009 to "Knock Out Dog Fighting."

The award winning "Knock Out Dog Fighting" program is an unprecedented awareness and youth intervention program created to combat the cruel and inhumane activity of dog fighting. Despite the fact that dog fighting is a felony in all 50 states, it is both widespread and growing.

"Getting and fighting a pit bull has become a way for inner-city youth to show their toughness, they use it as a stature builder and in doing so, they give no thought to what the animals involved endure," says Knock Out Dog Fighting founder Kris Crawford. "Who better to show these kids what toughness really is than elite Mixed
Martial Arts athletes?!"

MMA stars who've joined the fight to combat dog fighting are Andrei "The Pit Bull" Arlovski, Kim Couture, Cung Le, Josh "The Punk" Thomson, Jake Shields, Anthony "Rumble" Johnson, Paul Buentello, "Razor" Rob McCullough, Elaina Maxwell, Jose "La Bamba" Palacios and many more. Frank Shamrock was unable to attend the event due to he was announcing at the Strikeforce fight later that day. However, he donated a pair of autographed boxing gloves and a copy of his new book "MMA for Dummies."

"When I decided to wage war against dog fighting, I knew that in order to succeed, I had to have the best fighters," said Crawford. "These extraordinary athletes take their responsibility as role models very seriously and are demonstrating that they are champions both in and out of the cage."

The MMA members of Knock Out Dog Fighting produce public service announcements (PSAs),visit schools, children's groups and juvenile detention centers, with the message that it is NOT a symbol of power, strength, or greatness to fight, abuse or torture animals. They are giving back to the community by helping at-risk youth develop empathy for animals, make better choices, increase self-esteem and develop healthy lifestyles. This reduces the potential of involvement in at-risk and gang-related activities such as dog fighting.

The event on Saturday concluded with Arlovski and the members of Knock Out Dog Fighting taking two kids to the history making Strikeforce fight at the HP Pavilion. Knock Out Dog Fighting, along with members of the San Jose Mayor's Gang Prevention Task Force, selected the two individuals from a group of kids who work out in the youth MMA program. The two were chosen for overcoming many obstacles to stay out of the gang-life and who are now mentoring other kids about not fighting dogs and staying out of gangs.

This extraordinary reward and incentive was made possible through the generosity of Strikeforce, who donated the tickets to the fight, and Cloud 9 Limousine who made it an experience of a lifetime by generously providing limousine service to and from the fight at the HP Pavilion.

Proceeds from the benefit will go to fund the Knock Out Dog Fighting youth-intervention programs.

For more information about the award-winning Knock Out Dog Fighting program and how you can help end cruelty, go to www.KnockOutDogFighting.org.

About Knock Out Dog Fighting:

Knock Out Dog Fighting is an anti-dog fighting campaign/program developed by the 501(c)3 nonprofit organization For Pits' Sake, Inc. Founded in 1997, For Pits' Sake is a leader in the community for both human and animal rescue, humane education, safety programs and therapy work with battered/abused and special needs children. The Knock Out Dog Fighting program has formed partnerships with several community organizations and law enforcement agencies to stop cruelty to both animals and children. They have received numerous awards including a Jefferson Award - The Nobel Prize for Community Service, the American Red Cross Real Hero Award, the President of the United States Volunteer Service Award, the United Animal Nations Animals Choice Award, the NSAL Heroism Award, a Certificate and Letter of Achievement from the FBI, Certificates of Appreciation from County Supervisors, Senators and Assembly members, and a letter from the Governor of CA stating they "demonstrate the true strength of California and represent the best of the Golden State."

About Britannia Arms-Almaden:

The Brit-Almaden is an authentic neighborhood British Pub, restaurant, live music venue and sports bar conveniently located in south San Jose, California at the southwest corner of Cherry Ave. & Almaden Expressway, 1 block north of Highway 85. They have been at this spot since 1988 and have become the favorite meeting spot in South San Jose. The Brit offers an authentic top notch menu, live music and all major sporting events shown on their many flat screen TV's. Whether you call it a neighborhood sports bar, a popular live music venue, an authentic British Pub experience, or just a great family restaurant, you are always guaranteed a warm friendly atmosphere with a great staff. The Brit-Almaden prides itself on the fact that "No one is a stranger for long."

About Cloud 9 Limousine:

Cloud 9 Limousine & Transportation Service is a family owned and operated business. Michael Carr, President and CEO, began his career at Cloud 9 as a chauffeur over a decade ago. Those early years allowed him to be in the field, meeting clients face to face, listening to their needs, and receiving immediate feedback from them. When he had the fortune to purchase the company, his experiences offered a unique opportunity to create a business model for Cloud 9 inspired by the customers themselves. Since 1999, the Carr Family has been implementing those criteria with expediency and excellence, repeatedly providing the highest standard of service. Their continued delivery of customer satisfaction, has allowed them to establish Cloud 9 Limousine & Transportation Service as a leading Limousine Company.