PORTLAND – The HSUS is heralding today’s passage of
anti-cockfighting legislation in the Oregon House of
Representatives as an important step in closing a loophole that
has allowed cockfighters to get away with breaking the law.
The House Judiciary Committee introduced this bill to give
law enforcement agencies the tools they need to combat
cockfighting. Currently, Oregon law only bars the staging and
fighting of birds and being a spectator at a fight. H.B. 2086
bans the breeding, possession, and sale of fighting birds and
increases penalties for involvement in these fights. It passed
today by a 46 - 9 vote.
Identical legislation introduced last year gained passage in
the House on three separate occasions but never came up for a
vote in the Senate because of obstructionist efforts by Senator
Roger Beyer (R-Molalla).
“Oregon’s laws against the barbaric practice of cockfighting
are laden with gaping loopholes,” stated Kelly Peterson, the
Oregon Program Coordinator for The HSUS. “Since it’s perfectly
legal to raise, sell, and possess birds for fighting, law
enforcement personnel have a difficult time cracking down on
this illegal activity. We are very grateful to House Judiciary
Chairman Max Williams (R-Tigard) for his leadership on this
legislation.”
Cockfighters have eluded prosecution in Oregon by claiming
that they are raising fighting birds for shipment to states
where it is still lawful. However, in May 2002, President Bush
signed legislation to ban any interstate transport or exports
of fighting birds. This provision takes effect in May 2003.
Humane organizations and law enforcement agencies including
the Oregon District Attorney’s Association, Oregon State
Sheriff’s Association, Oregon State Police, and the Oregon
Association of Chiefs of Police have endorsed H.B. 2086. They
support this legislation not only because it combats obvious
and odious cruelty to animals, but because cockfighting is a
social menace. Busts of cockfights routinely turn up evidence
of illegal gambling, possession of illegal firearms, and sale
of illegal narcotics.
Some examples of recent cockfighting busts in Oregon
include:
• September, 2002, while police raided a couple's home in
Junction City for illegal drugs, authorities also found illegal
weapons, fighting cocks and equipment, including a collection
of gaffs and razor-sharp spurs. Both suspects were convicted
felons.
• July, 2002, Woodburn Police searching a home for stolen
property found 158 rifles and pistols and uncovered a suspected
cockfighting operation. Police found 100 roosters being bred
for cockfighting and equipment that included sparring boots and
blades.
• January, 2001, while Lane County police raided a man's
home suspected of laundering money from an illegal drug
business, they discovered an illegal cockfighting operation
that included 30 roosters, sparring boots, steroids, and a
videotape of a cockfighting event held at that residence a few
weeks earlier.
Cockfighters pump specially bred roosters full of drugs to
increase aggression and clot their blood, affix razor-sharp
knives or ice pick like gaffs to their legs, and place them in
a pit to fight to injury or death. During a bout, birds suffer
punctured lungs, gouged eyes, broken bones, and other grievous
injuries. This is all done for the amusement and illegal
wagering of cockfighters and spectators.
