WASHINGTON –The Humane Society of the United States today called on West Virginia lawmakers to approve recently introduced legislation that will strengthen the state's anti-cockfighting laws, currently some of the weakest in the country.
West Virginia's paltry penalties for engaging in this cruel bloodpsort were highlighted by The HSUS this past August when the group identified states with the weakest laws on cockfighting. West Virginia ranked fifth on the list of states for weakest penalties in the country. Currently, participating in a cockfight is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine as low $100 and $1000. Cockfighting is a felony in 33 states, but still legal in Louisiana and New Mexico.
H.B. 2737, sponsored by state Delegates John Overington (R-55th), Bonnie Brown (D-30th), Robert A. Schadler (R-49th), Jon Amores (D-30th), and Clif Moore (D-23rd) would strengthen the law by making it a felony to engage in cockfighting. The bill also makes it a felony to possess animals for the purpose of fighting, to possess animal fighting implements, and to allow one's premises to be used for animal fighting.
In December, McDowell County Sheriff's deputies, along with West Virginia State troopers raided an illegal cockfight outside the town of Davy and charged 32 people with misdemeanors. Besides the citations, about $2,500 worth of cockfighting equipment was seized. McDowell County, represented by Del. Moore, lies on the border of Virginia and is near the Kentucky stateline, as well.
"With its weak penalties, West Virginia is a magnet for these criminals, bringing cockfighters in from neighboring states where penalties are stronger," said John Goodwin, deputy manager of animal fighting issues for The HSUS. "The Humane Society of the United States commends the sponsors of this anti-crime legislation for appreciating the menace that animal fighting poses, and urges swift approval of this important public safety measure by the full legislature."
Winners of these brutal derbies often walk away with tens of thousands of dollars, so misdemeanor penalties 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.
North Carolina and California recently enacted felony cockfighting laws, and this week in Virginia, a felony cockfighting bill passed out of a state Senate committee.
The vote in Virginia came in the wake of a large coordinated law enforcement raid on a cockfighting pit in southern Virginia near the North Carolina border, which resulted in the arrest of 145 people. The raid was the culmination of an eight-month investigation by the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office and The Humane Society of the United States, and along with the arrests resulted in the seizure of 126 birds and $40,000 in gambling proceeds.
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.
A separate piece of federal legislation is being considered by the U.S. Congress to make it a felony to transport any animal over state lines for an animal fighting venture. S. 261 and H.R. 137, the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act, has 17 cosponsors in the U.S. Senate and 288 cosponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives, including U.S. Representatives Shelley Moore Capito (R-2nd) and Nick J. Rahall (D-3rd).
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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.
