On March 26, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives finally passed the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act by a landslide vote of 368-39.

Thanks very much to all who called and wrote their representatives to encourage support of this important legislation.

But now, more than ever, it is vital that you contact your Senators, and urge them to also support this bill so it will finally become law.

About the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act of 2007

HR 137/S 261 (the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act of 2007) has been introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

And it has lingered there for a very long time.  But if passed, this Act would increase the penalties for both cockfighting and dog fighting. Similar bills introduced in 2006 were never voted on, so they died when Congress recessed for the year.

Animal fighting is an extremely cruel blood sport that involves breeding and mistreating animals horrendously to increase their aggressiveness, then encouraging them to continue fighting even after they have suffered severe injuries - often to the death.

Dog fighting is illegal in all 50 states, and cockfighting is now illegal in all states except Louisiana. It is also a felony in some states to engage in animal fighting or to train a dog for fighting.

On the federal level, this law prohibits sponsoring or exhibiting an animal in an animal-fighting venture if any of the animals in the venture have been moved across state lines.

However, such an offense is currently only a misdemeanor.

HR 137/S 261 would finally raise this crime to a felony offense. This means that if animal fighting is only a misdemeanor in your state, but the animals involved in a fight were brought over from another state, the sponsoring or exhibition of the animal fight would be deemed a federal felony offense.

Additionally, the Act would prohibit the sale, purchase, transportation, or delivery in interstate or foreign commerce of any knife, gaff, or other sharp instrument used in bird-fighting ventures. 

The Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act will finally properly penalize, and hopefully deter, people from engaging in the extremely brutal “sport” of animal fighting.

What You Can Do

Please send a letter right now to your Senators urging them to support S 261.

Every dog, and every dog lover, in this country will thank you for it.