Humane Society Calls on Louisiana Lawmakers to Stop Appeasing Cockfighting Interests

June 17, 2007

With just ten days remaining in the 2007 legislative session, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) called on House and Senate leaders to resist the temptation to give a lengthy amnesty to cockfighters and instead to pass a strong anti-cockfighting measure that would take effect by the end of the year.   The Senate has proposed a compromise measure that humane advocates find tolerable -- to ban gambling at cockfights starting August 15th of this year and to ban cockfighting by the end of the year.   Some historically pro-cockfighting lawmakers are seeking to allow cockfighting to continue through August 15th of next year -- allowing two full cockfighting seasons to proceed in Louisiana, even though every other state in the nation has outlawed the activity.

"Allowing two full seasons of cockfighting to be conducted under a House-approved bill is just not something that the people of Louisiana support," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "The attempt to give a sort of amnesty to cockfighters will be an embarrassment to the state.  A reasonable compromise is to ban the activity by the end of the year."

The Senate originally passed S.B. 39 by Sen. Art Lentini, which would end cockfighting immediately.  The House passed H.B. 108 by Rep. Harold Ritchie, which would allow cockfighting to continue until August 15, 2008.   The Senate Judiciary C Committee amended H.B. 108 and came up with the compromise position of a postponement of the cockfighting ban until the end of the year, and Senator Lentini has agreed to this middle-ground position.  The HSUS asks House lawmakers to follow suit. 

"It is apparent that the Senate will not support a one-year phase out  and the House will not support an immediate ban," added Pacelle.  "While we have always favored an immediate ban, a six-month phase-out is the best hope we have of getting a bill passed to outlaw cockfighting  and to find a relatively near-term pathway to end this barbaric practice."

The HSUS also favors including the ban on possession of fighting birds which was in H.B. 108 when passed by the House.  It also favors striking the exemption for "fowl" in the anti-cruelty statute – which was inserted only to protect cockfighting – and not adding new exemptions to the cruelty law as some House lawmakers are attempting to do.

The HSUS is also backing a separate bill by Sen. Art Lentini – S.B. 221 – which would immediately make gambling at a cockfight a crime.  Although this bill passed the Senate unanimously, some  pro-cockfighting House lawmakers are trying to sabotage this legislation by including a one-year phase-out period.  The HSUS calls on House members to reject any weakening amendments, and implement the gambling ban immediately. 

-30-

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization – backed by 10 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.