Animal fighting, although illegal in virtually every state, is still prevalent throughout the country, fueled in part by a subculture naively fascinated with the illicit and thuggish nature of dogfighting. As the 109th Congress gets underway, we are determined to get the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act enacted, and we need your help more than ever.
Senator John Ensign (R-NV) introduced S. 382 and Representative Mark Green (R-WI) introduced H.R. 817, a pair of bills known as the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act.The act will do two things: strengthen current federal law by authorizing felony-level jail time for the interstate and foreign movement of animals used for fighting, and ban the interstate and foreign commerce of the barbaric implements used in cockfights. Eleven senators and 26 representatives joined as original co-sponsors of the bill.
Clamping down on these brutal blood sports benefits both animals and humans:
- Animals forced to fight are drugged to intensify aggression, and are frequently pushed to keep fighting even after suffering grave injuries.
- Stolen pets are regularly used as "bait" to train dogs to fight, and some dogs are abandoned after being forced to fight for years, putting them and communities in jeopardy.
- Cockfighting has been implicated in the spread of dangerous and costly diseases that kill poultry and can hurt people. (At least four children in Asia died from bird flu in 2004 due to cockfighting exposure.)
- Animal fights are also frequently associated with illegal drug trafficking and acts of human violence.
It is critical that your federal legislators know that you oppose all animal fighting and that you want Congress to quickly enact this legislation. Phone calls and personal letters on this issue will have the most impact. Thank you for taking action!
What You Can Do
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