South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster and The HSUS Announce New Animal Fighting Reward Program

October 29, 2007

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster and The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) held a joint press conference to announce an aggressive campaign aimed at wiping out animal fighting in America with a powerful incentive. The HSUS is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person involved in illegal animal fighting. This doubles The HSUS’ longstanding reward of $2,500.

As part of the animal fighting campaign, Attorney General McMaster will record a radio public service announcement about the new reward. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has also joined forces with McMaster and The HSUS to publicize the animal fighting reward program. The two are leading a bipartisan group of Attorneys General around the country who are partnering with The HSUS to stop animal cruelty.

"Animal fighting is a cruel, criminal activity that is not tolerated in South Carolina," said McMaster. "I am proud to stand with Attorney General Blumenthal and The Humane Society of the United States in this campaign to combat animal fighting. This effort is important to the communities that are affected by the criminal elements surrounding this brutal crime."

The South Carolina Attorney General is not a newcomer to the issue. In 2004, he established a statewide task force to combat animal fighting and its associated crimes such as drug and weapon trafficking, illegal gambling, and human violence. In 2007, McMaster wrote to Amazon.com urging the company to cease the sale, advertisement and distribution of illegal cockfighting magazines. For his various efforts to combat illegal animal fighting, he was recognized with The HSUS' inaugural Humane Law Enforcement Official of the Year Award.

"Attorney General McMaster has for a long time been treating the animal fighters like the criminals they are," stated Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. "Now, with our enhanced rewards program, we hope to give him and other law enforcement personnel the tools to root out animal fighting in all of the dark corners where it festers."

Public service announcements about the animal fighting reward program are available at www.hsus.org/animalfightingpsa.

Cockfighting

• Tens of thousands of people are involved in cockfighting nationwide.
• Law enforcement raids across the country have revealed that cockfights, which are frequently attended by children, often involve gambling and, as a result of the large amounts of cash present, firearms and other weapons.
• Law enforcement officials have documented a strong connection between cockfighting and the distribution illegal drugs. 

Dogfighting

• Dogfighting is a highly-organized criminal industry; more than 250,000 dogs are placed in dogfighting pits each year.
• 40,000 people are involved in organized dogfighting and an additional 100,000 are street-level fighters.
• A three-year study released by the Chicago Police Department showed that 65% of the people arrested for animal abuse crimes—including dogfighting—were also arrested for violent crimes against people.

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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.