Dogs struggle during a sparring fight, one of the many that are scheduled for today. The fight will continue till one of the animals starts yelping in pain. Dog fighting, although not a traditional Kalmyk pastime, is quite popular in the region. There are tournaments with large cash prizes, which attract participants from all over the South. In addition, bets are made. People who buy and raise dogs specifically for the purpose of making money off of them are aware of the fact that, by Russian laws, it is illegal to put an animal in danger. They argue that they do not do permanent harm to dogs and fights are never meant to continue till death of one of the fighters. Animal rights activists try to bring a stop to this type of bloodsport, but they are not successful. While out of the legal field, it does not attract much attention from law enforcement institutions.