While no charges have yet been filed in the case of apparent dog fighting uncovered in Virginia at property owned by Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, The Humane Society of the United States called on local and federal officials to continue conducting a thorough investigation of this serious crime. More than 60 dogs, some of them heavily scarred and one of them severely injured, a bloody carpet, and fighting paraphernalia seized at the 15-acre property last month point to an illegal dog fighting operation of considerable scale.
"Because of Vick's high public profile and because dog fighting is a horribly brutal crime that causes mutilation and often death for animals, we expect law enforcement officials to continue investigating this matter through and through," said Michael Markarian, executive vice president of the Humane Society of the United States. "Dog fighting is a serious crime, at the state and federal level, and our experts stand ready to assist law enforcement with whatever help they may need in this investigation."
Dog fighting is a felony under Virginia state law. President Bush has just signed a new law that also makes it a federal felony to transport dogs across state lines for the purpose of fighting
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