A DOG-FIGHTING ring is suspected to be operating in the Cotswolds after an animal shelter reported a surge in staffordshire bull terriers being abandoned.

More than half of the 51 stray dogs currently being looked after at Cheltenham Animal Rescue are staffordshire bull terriers, a popular breed in organised dog fighting.

Over the past fortnight alone seven stray dogs have been found in the Lechlade area and there are concerns that some of these dogs may be pit bulls – a dangerous dog type banned in the UK.

Cheltenham Animal Rescue manager John Humphries said: “There seems to be more and more dogs abandoned in the Cotswold area.”

He said it was possible that the Staffordshire bull terriers were being dumped by the travelling community, but it was more likely to be the case that the dogs were intended to be fighting dogs.

“They’ve probably been bred for fighting and the owners found they were far too placid and that’s why they’re getting rid of them,” he said.

Mr Humphries suspected a lot of the stray dogs brought in were coming from the same unknown place because many of them were suffering from kennel cough, a contagious illness commonly found when dogs are kept in a group.

Animal activists have pinpointed Lechlade and Fairford as a hotspot for organised dog fighting activity.

Mike Haines, an animal welfare campaigner from Cirencester, said dog fighting has been going on in these areas for a few months but it was difficult to tackle the problem because of group members’ secretive nature.

Last year a covert RSPCA investigation uncovered ‘vile and barbaric’ dog fighting in the Cotswolds, which led to the arrests of four people and two jail sentences.

Ian Draper, 47, of Burford, was handed a 20 week jail sentence and his son Danny Draper, 25, of Swindon, got a 12 week sentence when they attended Swindon Magistrates Court in October 2011.

Inspector Mike Butcher who led the investigation warned that the battle to clamp down on organised dog fighting would continue.

He said: "A lot of people describe dog fighting as a sport, but there is nothing sporting in watching two dogs being made to tear each other apart.

"We are obviously pleased to see these men successfully through the court, but Ian and Danny Draper are not the first people to be sentenced for dog fighting, and sadly they won’t be the last."

The RSPCA took 28,162 abandoment calls in England and Wales in 2011, compared to 21,481 in 2007 – a 31 per cent rise.

Gloucestershire Police said no recent incidents of dog fighting had been reported but they would continue to work closely with the RSPCA and animal rescue centres and should be contacted on 101 if anyone has a concern about animal welfare.