WASHINGTON - The National Sheriffs' Association (NSA), made up of more than 3,000 sheriffs nationwide, has joined with The Humane Society of the United States and 345 state and local law enforcement agencies in endorsing the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act of 2005 (H.R. 817 and S. 382). The HSUS has contacted law enforcement agencies across the country to request their support for the legislation.
The Animal Fighting bill seeks to upgrade penalties for interstate or foreign commerce in dogs, birds, or other animals for fighting purposes, and to create a new crime for interstate transport of cockfighting implements. The offenses would be a felony under the proposed legislation.
The Senate approved S. 382 in April, and a companion bill, H.R. 817, is pending in the House Judiciary Committee. The House bill has 172 cosponsors, including a majority of Republicans and Democrats on the committee. Others endorsing the legislation include the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Chicken Council (which represents 95 percent of U.S. poultry producers and processors), and the American Veterinary Medical Association.
"Animal fighting is a gruesome and barbaric practice, and federal law should speak in a clear and powerful way to deter these activities," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "We are grateful to the National Sheriffs' Association for its endorsement, and know that the men and women of law enforcement want to see an end to organized animal fighting and the other forms of criminal conduct so often associated with it."
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, cockfighting was a key factor in the spread of Exotic Newcastle Disease, which cost the government nearly $200 million to contain during a 2002-2003 outbreak in California and other parts of the Southwest. Cockfighting has also been linked to the deaths of several children in Asia who were reportedly exposed through cockfighting activity to bird flu in 2004.
Dogfighting poses public safety risks, too – dogs trained to kill sometimes get loose or are abandoned to roam neighborhoods, and some dogfighters steal pets to use as "bait" to train their dogs.
Dogfighting is prohibited in all 50 states and considered a felony in 48; cockfighting is prohibited in 48 states and considered a felony in 32.
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization representing more than nine million members and constituents. The non-profit organization is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals and equine protection, disaster preparedness and response, wildlife and habitat protection, animals in research and farm animal welfare. The HSUS protects all animals through education, investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy, and field work. The group is based in Washington and has numerous field representatives across the country. On the web at www.hsus.org.
