Tennessee House Subcommittee Votes to Make Cockfighting a Felony

April 2, 2008

The HSUS Urges Full Judiciary Committee to Pass H.B. 2143

The Humane Society of the United States praised the House Criminal Practice and Procedure subcommittee for referring H.B. 2143 to the full Judiciary committee. H.B. 2143 is sponsored by Rep. Janis Sontany, D-Nashville. 

The subcommittee approved the bill with a 4 to 3 vote, with Judiciary chairman Rep. Kent Coleman casting the deciding vote. Voting "yes" with Coleman were Reps. Sontany, Rob Briley, D-Nashville, and Henry Fincher, D-Cookeville. Voting to keep penalties for cockfighting low were Reps. Eddie Bass, D-Prospect; Judd Matheny, R-Tullahoma; and Eric Watson, R-Cleveland. 

"Most states bordering East Tennessee, including Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia, punish cockfighting as a felony," said John Goodwin, manager of animal fighting issues for The HSUS. "Tennessee is fast becoming a refuge for people who want to commit this crime without fear of meaningful prosecution."

While present law deems animal fighting with any bull, bear or dog a class E felony, a loophole in Tennessee law lowers the penalty for cockfighting to a Class A misdemeanor. H.B. 2143 will close that loophole by making cockfighting a Class E felony, punishable by one to six years in prison and a maximum $3,000 fine. Additionally, the bill will raise the penalty for being a spectator at an animal fighting event to a Class A misdemeanor.

A companion bill, S.B. 1734, is sponsored in the state Senate by Sen. Bill Ketron, R-Murfreesboro. Rep. Sontany and Sen. Ketron are highly-regarded champions for animal protection legislation.

About Cockfighting:

• Tens of thousands of people are involved in cockfighting nationwide.
• A 2005 raid on a cockfighting pit in Cocke County led to the exposure of widespread public corruption among local law enforcement in that county, illegal gambling, men with semi-automatic weapons guarding the gate receipts, and even the presence of young children at the cockfights.
• 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 officials have documented a strong connection between cockfighting and the distribution of illegal drugs.
• Breeding and transporting fighting roosters for cockfighting is implicated in the spread of diseases such as Exotic Newcastle Disease, which can decimate the poultry industry.

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