The HSUS Calls on MLB Commissioner and Mets Organization to Condemn Animal Fighting

February 8, 2008

Animal Protection Group Says We All Need to Be Part of Solution to Curb Dogfighting and Cockfighting

The Humane Society of the United States is calling for Major League Baseball and the Mets organization to condemn any animal fighting activities among MLB players or staff, regardless of where the animal fighting occurs. Today, Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS, sent letters to Bud Selig, MLB Commissioner, and Fred Wilpon, chairman of the board and CEO of the Mets organization. The letters addressed the video that has been circulating on the Internet showing Mets pitcher Pedro Martinez and Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal releasing birds to fight at a major cockfighting pit in the Dominican Republic, where the activity is legal. 

"Every state in the U.S. has banned cockfighting, and it is a felony in 35 states. Aside from being cruel and degrading, cockfighting, like dogfighting, is often associated with other illicit activities, including narcotics sales and even homicide," Pacelle wrote. "Normative standards of animal welfare should not be suspended when professional athletes cross our borders and find legal enclaves for malicious acts of cruelty." 

The HSUS notes that there are tens of thousands of active animal fighters in the United States, and that combating the problem requires many institutions and individuals to be involved in working to combat these practices.

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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the Web at humanesociety.org.