WASHINGTON – In the wake of a recent raid in McDowell County where 32 people were charged with misdemeanors, The Humane Society of the United States today called on West Virginia lawmakers to pass legislation that will strengthen their cockfighting laws, currently some of the weakest in the country.
Acting on a tip received earlier in the day, McDowell County Sheriff's deputies, State Police troopers and a conservation officer raided a cockfight outside the town of Davy on Monday. Besides the citations, about $2,500 worth of cockfighting equipment was seized.
West Virginia's feeble punishments for cockfighting were highlighted in a press release issued by The HSUS this past August when the group identified states with the weakest laws punishing this barbaric activity. West Virginia came in as having the fifth weakest penalties in the country; attending a cockfight there is punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of between $100 and $1000. Cockfighting is a felony in 33 states, but still legal in Louisiana and New Mexico.
"With such weak penalties, West Virginia is a magnet for these criminals, bringing cockfighters in from neighboring states where penalties are strong," said John Goodwin, deputy manager of animal fighting issues for The HSUS. "Legislators should set meaningful penalties that effectively deter people from strapping knives onto the heels of roosters and pitting them in fights to the death."
Winners of these brutal derbies often walk away with tens of thousands of dollars in their pockets, so a misdemeanor penalty and the generally weak fines levied fail to deter involvement in this crime.
States that have strong felony penalties for cockfighting generally have seen significant declines in the activity. To adequately address participation in, gambling on, and possessing birds and implements for cockfighting, punishments need to include fines in the thousands of dollars and significant prison time.
South Carolina and California enacted felony cockfighting laws in 2006, and The HSUS is still working to have the U.S. House of Representatives take action on a bill to establish felony penalties for federal cockfighting activities.
Cockfighting is an arranged fight between two specially bred roosters often pumped full of stimulants and other drugs who maim each other until one is declared the winner. Roosters—winners or losers—often die as a result of their injuries from the fight. Cockfighting is also closely linked with crimes such as illicit gambling, drug trafficking and violence, and has recently been cited as a possible risk factor in the spread of avian flu.
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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization with nearly 10 million members and constituents. The HSUS is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals, disaster preparedness and response, wildlife and habitat protection, marine mammals, animals in research, equine protection, and farm animal welfare. The HSUS protects all animals through education, investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy and field work. The nonprofit organization is based in Washington and has field representatives and offices across the country.
