He wasn't cruel to dogs and other animals, but they were not family members and were NEVER allowed to come into the house. They lived on a farm and the animals stayed in the barn.

I also knew a guy in my neighborhood (Chesapeake) and he had hunting dogs that lived outdoors. They had a pen that was pretty small with a dog house in it. Those dogs were used for hunting and they never came into the house.

Neither of these guys would understand the "family members" position. From there, I can understand why some people could use them for fighting (entertainment). The part I don't understand is killing dogs that were losers, especially the way they were killed.