Bearbaiting was a cruel sport popular in Europe and especially in London as early as 1174. It was part of holiday and Sunday activities. A bear or a bull was fastened to a stake by a chain around its neck or hind leg, and sometimes by a ring in its nose. Then large, specially trained dogs tormented it. Bearbaiting also led to other cruel amusements, such as whipping a blind bear. Bearbaiting was held in open-air arenas called bear gardens. Bearbaiting began to decline in the late 1600’s, and in 1835 Parliament prohibited it.
