Bull-baiting

thumb|right|Bull-baiting in the 19th century, painted by Samuel Henry Alken. thumb|Detail from "Bull-baiting" by Julius Caesar Ibbetson, circa 1817. Bull-baiting (or bullbaiting) is a blood sport involving pitting a bull against dogs with the aim of subduing the bull by biting and holding onto its nose or neck, which often resulted in the death of the bull. The Cruelty to Animals Act 1835 effectively outlawed bull-baiting in Britain, although the practice persisted illegally in some rural areas for a time.

==History== ===England=== thumb|Bull- and bear-baiting arenas shown on the woodcut map of London of c.–1561 (the dogs are shown coming out of pens to each side) The origin of baiting in England may have come from ancient pagan rituals, and appears to have been carried on as a required method of butchering bull-beef in the 14th century. However, the earliest known bull-baiting as commercial entertainment in London was around 1540, and the first permanent arena was in 1562. Historically, however, English authors have often claimed a more ancient origin of the sport, as early as the 12th century, presumably to lend it a more ancient and venerable history, going as far as to suggest that the circular shape of the Elizabethan theaters came about because they were first used as baiting arenas, although these claims have been discredited.