Ohio House Passes Bill Cracking Down on Animal Fighting

May 29, 2008

H.B.415 Overwhelmingly Passes 92-1

The Humane Society of the United States praised Ohio's House of Representatives for overwhelmingly passing a bill today to strengthen the state's animal fighting laws by a vote of 92-1. The HSUS now calls on the Senate to quickly pass this important anti-crime and anti-cruelty bill.

H.B. 415, which is sponsored by Reps. Lou Blessing, R–Colerain Township, and John Domenick, D–Smithfield, upgrades the penalties for illegal cockfighting from a misdemeanor to a class 4 felony punishable by a maximum $5,000 fine and up to18 months in prison. Ohio's cockfighting law is one of the weakest in the nation, second only to Alabama's. The only legislator voting to keep the penalties weak was Rep. Tom Brinkman, R-Cincinnati.

"Dogfighting is a felony in Ohio, and cockfighting should be treated the same way—there is no moral difference between the two practices, which pit animals against each other and force them to fight to the death for entertainment and gambling profits," said Dean Vickers, Ohio state director for The Humane Society of the United States. "We are grateful to the Ohio House of Representatives for assigning meaningful punishment to these criminals, and we ask the Senate to quickly pass this anti-crime and anti-cruelty measure."

Cockfighting is widespread in parts of the state. One infamous pit in Vinton County was raided in 1991, but the anemic penalties in the existing law are no deterrent and the pit quickly reopened. That cockfighting pit continues to operate to this day, as do others. The current misdemeanor penalties for cockfighting in Ohio are no greater than those of a speeding ticket and are viewed by cockfighters as the cost of doing business.  

As a result, Ohio has become a magnet for illegal cockfighters who come from neighboring states where the penalties are more severe, threatening Ohio's poultry industry with avian diseases and bringing associated crimes into the state. Making cockfighting a felony in Ohio would put the Buckeye state on par with its neighboring states of Indiana, Michigan and Pennsylvania, which all designate felony-level penalties for the crime.

About Cockfighting:

• Tens of thousands of people are involved in cockfighting nationwide.
• Common cockfighting practices include breeding birds for viciousness, drugging them to heighten aggression, and fitting their legs with razor-sharp knives or gaffs resembling ice picks.
• Law enforcement raids across the country have revealed that cockfights, which are frequently attended by children, involve illegal gambling. Because of the large amount of cash present, firearms and other weapons are also often present.
• Law enforcement officials have documented a strong connection between cockfighting and the distribution of illegal drugs.
• The illegal transport of fighting birds can spread deadly diseases to people and poultry. 

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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.