A statement from Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, on the video of Pedro Martinez and Juan Marichal participating in a cockfight in the Dominican Republic:
Whether they play football or baseball, athletes know that animal fighting is a barbaric practice to be avoided at all costs. Animal fighting has no place whatsoever among those who presume to be role models for youngsters, not in this country and not elsewhere. Americans have no tolerance for the abuse of living animals for entertainment and gambling – plain and simple.
Pedro Martinez and Juan Marichal exhibited appallingly bad judgment in participating in a staged animal fight. It doesn't excuse the behavior to find a legal haven for this reprehensible and inhumane conduct. It's animal cruelty, no matter where it occurs.
Michael Vick brought home the lesson when his career was ruined by disclosures of his involvement in a dogfighting ring. Cockfighting is a similarly barbaric activity that forces two animals to mutilate and kill each other with sharp weapons strapped to their legs. There is no moral distinction between dogfighting and cockfighting — both involve the torture of animals for the titillation of spectators who enjoy the violence and bloodletting.
The Humane Society of the United States calls upon the New York Mets to take appropriate action to distance themselves from Martinez's behavior. Major League Baseball should join us in condemning Martinez and Marichal for their shameful example.
Cockfighting has been banned in all 50 states, and it is a federal felony to transport cockfighting weapons or birds across state lines or international borders for the purpose of fighting.
Broadcast-quality video and cockfighting images are available at video.hsus.org
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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.
