Organization calls for stronger laws to deter animal fighting and burden on law enforcement

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, August 18, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — Today, Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy issued a statement on news that 16 roosters were rescued during a cockfighting and animal cruelty investigation by Lorain County officers. The birds and other animal fighting paraphernalia were recovered.

Wayne Pacelle, President of Animal Wellness Action helped write the state’s felony-level anti-cockfighting law and issued this statement:

“Ohio has felony-level penalties for cockfighting, and it’s amazing that people continue to risk their freedom to stage fights between animals,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action. “Cockfighting is a form of malicious cruelty, and we must mete out strong penalties for perpetrators to root out this behavior in Ohio.”

Cockfighters attach knives or curved ice picks called gaffs to the combatants’ legs to enhance the bloodletting and accelerate the outcome.

Both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate have issued the Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act, and the authors hope to include the provision as an amendment to the Farm bill. Both pieces of legislation were driven by concerns for the barbarism of animal fighting, other criminal behavior comingled with it, and disease threats to poultry posed by transporting fighting roosters.

The FIGHT Act, amending Section 26 of the Animal Welfare Act, would enhance the enforcement opportunities by banning simulcasting and gambling of animal fighting ventures; halting the shipment of mature roosters (chickens only) shipped through the U.S. mail (it is already illegal to ship dogs through the mail); creating a citizen suit provision, after proper notice to federal authorities, to allow private right of action against illegal animal fighters; and enhancing forfeiture provisions to include real property for animal fighting crimes.

ABOUT

Animal Wellness Action (Action) is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) organization with a mission of helping animals by promoting legal standards forbidding cruelty and to encourage enforcement of our laws. We believe helping animals helps us all.

The Center for a Humane Economy (“the Center”) is a non-profit organization that focuses on influencing businesses to pay attention to animal cruelty in their operations and to eliminate harmful practices. We believe helping animals helps us all.

Wayne Pacelle Pacelle
ANIMAL WELLNESS ACTION
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