http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090110/OPINION01/901100336/1008
January 10, 2009Fights' operators game the systemBy Leighann McCollum
Many people were shocked when the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration arrested a group of Middle Tennessee cockfighters who were associated with a Mexican drug gang called the Gulf Cartel.
However, this came as no surprise to the Humane Society of the United States. For years we have noted that cockfighting goes hand in hand with a range of crimes including, but not limited to, the drug trade, illegal gambling and, of course, animal cruelty.
Tennessee, Alabama and Kentucky are at the heart of what we at the HSUS call "the cockfighting corridor."
While 37 states punish cockfighting as a felony, the cockfighting corridor houses the majority of states with weak penalties for this crime.
Cockfighters purposely set up their criminal operations in jurisdictions with the weakest penalties for animal fighting. This allows any misdemeanor fine to be more than offset by their potential gambling winnings.
Here are some recent examples. The Louisiana cockfighting ban went into effect in August 2008, while at roughly the same time Virginia made cockfighting a felony.
We have learned of four cockfighting pits from those two states that have since moved to the cockfighting corridor. Anemic penalties for cockfighting have caused these states to act as a magnet for cockfighting criminals.
Tough punishment avoided
Thanks to the DEA, it has become very clear that a community that attracts the sort of people who lust after the blood and gore of a cockfighting pit also faces its associated crimes.Let it be stated loud and clear: Cockfighters are moving their operations to states like Tennessee, Alabama and Kentucky to avoid the more meaningful punishment they face if they get caught operating in the state of origin.
Generally, passing any state legislation that has a fiscal note attached is made extremely difficult by tough economic times and a severely deficient state budget.
Last year, legislation that assigned felony-level penalties for cockfighting in Tennessee passed both the House and Senate Judiciary committees but carried a fiscal note of about $150,000. The analysts who determined that number may not have accounted for the economic and social costs borne by Tennesseans when criminals who disregard any number of laws make Tennessee a haven for illegal cockfighting.
People who participate in this bloodsport don't mind paying a misdemeanor fine. They see a small penalty as the cost of doing business.
In 2006, a spokesman for a cockfighting group told ABCNews.com, "It is kind of like jaywalking in the middle of the street, or spitting in the street. May not be legal, but you don't really have to worry about it, you know."
When the House Judiciary Committee heard testimony last year on the legislation that ultimately failed to pass, a special agent with the FBI revealed that cockfighters said they had bribed former Tennessee Rep. Ronnie Davis with $30,000 to reverse the felony cockfighting law that the General Assembly passed in 1989.
Unfortunately, Davis was successful. It is time to reverse the damage and set meaningful penalties for all forms of animal fighting.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Greenville Times says make cockfighting a felony in South Carolina
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090107/OPINION/901070353/1004/NEWS01
January 7, 2009
Make cockfighting a felony in our state
Cockfighting continues to be a booming business in South Carolina, and the Legislature needs to do something about this illegal blood sport. This should be the year our state lawmakers prove they take cockfighting seriously by making it a felony. It already is in all but about a dozen states, and South Carolina is the only one of those states on the East Coast.
"What we want to do in 2009 is pass a law against cockfighting that brings South Carolina law in line with your neighbors in Georgia and North Carolina," John Goodwin, manager of animal fighting issues with the Humane Society of the United States, said last month in a meeting at The Greenville News. "Otherwise, with a misdemeanor penalty, South Carolina becomes an attractive location for cockfighters who go jurisdiction shopping. They set up cockfighting pits in places with the weakest penalties."
With the help of Goodwin's national animal welfare organization, a number of state organizations, various law enforcement agencies and the Palmetto Family Council, South Carolina legislators have been encouraged, nudged and pushed to take needed action in areas such as dog fighting and hog-dog fighting.
These cruel and inhumane activities do more than create a methodical system for abusing animals and forcing them to fight to the death. Such activities also are notorious for attracting other crimes such as gambling and drug abuse. Goodwin said raids in other states have shown the presence of such organized gangs as the Mexican Mafia and MS 13.
Oran Smith of the Palmetto Family Council came out strong last year for tougher cockfighting penalties because his conservative, family-oriented group recognized that cockfighting was about much more than raising roosters to kill each other. This and other blood sports are surrounded by organized crime, drugs and other problems for which society has to pay. And even worse is that some families consider this such wholesome entertainment that they bring along their children, and those children are then desensitized to violence and other damaging activities early in life.
Cockfighting has powerful protectors in South Carolina. A bill to make it a felony has struggled in the Senate, where one or two senators can block potential legislation.
Just days after Goodwin met with newspapers and other groups last month, 19 people were charged with cockfighting in Anderson County. Deputies seized 37 birds, and a number of birds were found dead, according to a Greenville News story. One woman on the scene was charged with possession of cocaine.
This raid followed multiple busts of fights throughout 2008. In February, 88 people were charged in Anderson County with being in the presence of cockfighting. And a huge raid took place earlier in the year in York County, and 33 individuals were charged with misdemeanors.
Even with slightly tougher laws in South Carolina, most offenders get off with a slap on the wrist. South Carolina needs to make cockfighting a felony, and our state needs to make it a felony to observe a cockfight, too. Otherwise, the small fine of up to $1,000 is considered just a rare fee for the cockfighting participants who occasionally are caught by law enforcement.
Cockfighting is a barbaric practice that has been allowed to masquerade as a quaint blood sport for too long in South Carolina. It needs to be made a felony in 2009 in our state.
January 7, 2009
Make cockfighting a felony in our state
Cockfighting continues to be a booming business in South Carolina, and the Legislature needs to do something about this illegal blood sport. This should be the year our state lawmakers prove they take cockfighting seriously by making it a felony. It already is in all but about a dozen states, and South Carolina is the only one of those states on the East Coast.
"What we want to do in 2009 is pass a law against cockfighting that brings South Carolina law in line with your neighbors in Georgia and North Carolina," John Goodwin, manager of animal fighting issues with the Humane Society of the United States, said last month in a meeting at The Greenville News. "Otherwise, with a misdemeanor penalty, South Carolina becomes an attractive location for cockfighters who go jurisdiction shopping. They set up cockfighting pits in places with the weakest penalties."
With the help of Goodwin's national animal welfare organization, a number of state organizations, various law enforcement agencies and the Palmetto Family Council, South Carolina legislators have been encouraged, nudged and pushed to take needed action in areas such as dog fighting and hog-dog fighting.
These cruel and inhumane activities do more than create a methodical system for abusing animals and forcing them to fight to the death. Such activities also are notorious for attracting other crimes such as gambling and drug abuse. Goodwin said raids in other states have shown the presence of such organized gangs as the Mexican Mafia and MS 13.
Oran Smith of the Palmetto Family Council came out strong last year for tougher cockfighting penalties because his conservative, family-oriented group recognized that cockfighting was about much more than raising roosters to kill each other. This and other blood sports are surrounded by organized crime, drugs and other problems for which society has to pay. And even worse is that some families consider this such wholesome entertainment that they bring along their children, and those children are then desensitized to violence and other damaging activities early in life.
Cockfighting has powerful protectors in South Carolina. A bill to make it a felony has struggled in the Senate, where one or two senators can block potential legislation.
Just days after Goodwin met with newspapers and other groups last month, 19 people were charged with cockfighting in Anderson County. Deputies seized 37 birds, and a number of birds were found dead, according to a Greenville News story. One woman on the scene was charged with possession of cocaine.
This raid followed multiple busts of fights throughout 2008. In February, 88 people were charged in Anderson County with being in the presence of cockfighting. And a huge raid took place earlier in the year in York County, and 33 individuals were charged with misdemeanors.
Even with slightly tougher laws in South Carolina, most offenders get off with a slap on the wrist. South Carolina needs to make cockfighting a felony, and our state needs to make it a felony to observe a cockfight, too. Otherwise, the small fine of up to $1,000 is considered just a rare fee for the cockfighting participants who occasionally are caught by law enforcement.
Cockfighting is a barbaric practice that has been allowed to masquerade as a quaint blood sport for too long in South Carolina. It needs to be made a felony in 2009 in our state.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
HSUS and Loudoun County authorities smash cockfighting ring
Go HSUS and Loudoun County!!! I am so proud of HSUS for passing a tough law against animal fighting, and then making sure the law is enforced!!!!
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http://loudounextra.washingtonpost.com/news/2008/dec/17/birds-seized-investigation-cock-fighting-lovettsvi/
About 500 Chickens Seized From 2 Farms
Sites Suspected of Being Cockfighting Operations
By Jonathan Mummolo
Originally published at 11:35 a.m., December 17, 2008Updated at 9:26 p.m., December 17, 2008
Authorities in Loudoun County have seized about 500 chickens from two farms in the Lovettsville area suspected of being cockfighting operations and where roosters were found tethered, caged and with body parts amputated, according to county officials and court records.
On Sunday, Loudoun County Animal Care and Control officers seized more than 400 roosters and hens from a residence in the 38000 block of Sierra Lane. The next day, about 100 fowl were seized at a nearby property in the 12000 block of Berlin Turnpike after a tip that game birds were being fought on the property, according to officials and court records.
It is unclear whether the two operations are related, and no charges have been filed, officials said. A veterinarian examined the birds yesterday, and a judge will determine tomorrow whether the owners can retain custody of the birds.
If charges are brought, the cases would represent the largest seizure of animals connected to animal fighting in Virginia since harsher laws against the practice took effect Oct. 1 in the wake of the Michael Vick dog fighting scandal, said John Goodwin, manager of animal fighting issues for the Humane Society of the United States. The new laws prohibit the housing of animals with the intent to use them for fighting, regardless of whether gambling is connected, and animal fighting can now be prosecuted as a felony, said Goodwin, who lobbied for the measures.
"We're talking about a felony blood sport where animals are set against each other just so gamblers can see which animal will kill the other first," Goodwin said. "They're wearing knives. They're slashing each other to pieces, and it's just for titillation."
Loudoun Commonwealth's Attorney James E. Plowman said his office is in talks with animal control officials and will decide whether to bring charges in both cases after tomorrow's hearing.
"It appears at first glance that he's breeding them for purposes of fighting," Plowman said of the occupant of the Sierra Lane property, the larger operation. "From what I understand, he's selling them for over $1,000 a piece. . . . These aren't regular roosters you're going to find on Farmer John's farm."
A man who answered the door at the gated Sierra Lane site, where roosters could be heard crowing, declined to comment.
At the Berlin Turnpike residence — where a large statue of a rooster sat prominently in the front yard — a man who identified himself as the brother of the property owner said the chickens were used only for their eggs and for a "hobby," not for fighting.
38000 block of Sierra Lane
Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Jason Faw said that roosters were found tethered to barrels spaced apart to keep the fowl from attacking each other and that the body parts of some had been clipped in apparent preparation for fighting.
Although in county custody, the animals have remained at both properties under supervision of animal control officers because the county's animal shelter is not equipped to handle that many birds, animal control spokeswoman Laura Rizer said. Rizer declined to discuss specifics in the cases. The seizure at the Sierra Lane property resulted from an anonymous tip, too, and the site has been under investigation by animal control since early summer, Rizer said.
According to a search warrant affidavit, the tip about the Berlin Turnpike residence also said a fight was scheduled for Monday night. After the search, court records show, officers recovered several items that Goodwin said are common to the cockfighting world, including four "training mitts" — miniature boxing gloves placed on the animals to test their strength in mock fights — antibiotics, trophies, and gamecock books and magazines. Red wax string was also found, which Goodwin said is often used to tie blades to the animals before fights.
Goodwin said he visited the Sierra Lane property about eight months ago, after getting an anonymous tip about poor conditions for animals there. He said that from the road, he observed several tethered roosters and that there were far more roosters than hens, both of which he called signs of a cockfighting operation.
Roosters used for cockfighting are typically come from an aggressive breed, which necessitates separating them on a farm, Goodwin said.
Copyright 2008 The Washington Post Company
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http://loudounextra.washingtonpost.com/news/2008/dec/17/birds-seized-investigation-cock-fighting-lovettsvi/
About 500 Chickens Seized From 2 Farms
Sites Suspected of Being Cockfighting Operations
By Jonathan Mummolo
Originally published at 11:35 a.m., December 17, 2008Updated at 9:26 p.m., December 17, 2008
Authorities in Loudoun County have seized about 500 chickens from two farms in the Lovettsville area suspected of being cockfighting operations and where roosters were found tethered, caged and with body parts amputated, according to county officials and court records.
On Sunday, Loudoun County Animal Care and Control officers seized more than 400 roosters and hens from a residence in the 38000 block of Sierra Lane. The next day, about 100 fowl were seized at a nearby property in the 12000 block of Berlin Turnpike after a tip that game birds were being fought on the property, according to officials and court records.
It is unclear whether the two operations are related, and no charges have been filed, officials said. A veterinarian examined the birds yesterday, and a judge will determine tomorrow whether the owners can retain custody of the birds.
If charges are brought, the cases would represent the largest seizure of animals connected to animal fighting in Virginia since harsher laws against the practice took effect Oct. 1 in the wake of the Michael Vick dog fighting scandal, said John Goodwin, manager of animal fighting issues for the Humane Society of the United States. The new laws prohibit the housing of animals with the intent to use them for fighting, regardless of whether gambling is connected, and animal fighting can now be prosecuted as a felony, said Goodwin, who lobbied for the measures.
"We're talking about a felony blood sport where animals are set against each other just so gamblers can see which animal will kill the other first," Goodwin said. "They're wearing knives. They're slashing each other to pieces, and it's just for titillation."
Loudoun Commonwealth's Attorney James E. Plowman said his office is in talks with animal control officials and will decide whether to bring charges in both cases after tomorrow's hearing.
"It appears at first glance that he's breeding them for purposes of fighting," Plowman said of the occupant of the Sierra Lane property, the larger operation. "From what I understand, he's selling them for over $1,000 a piece. . . . These aren't regular roosters you're going to find on Farmer John's farm."
A man who answered the door at the gated Sierra Lane site, where roosters could be heard crowing, declined to comment.
At the Berlin Turnpike residence — where a large statue of a rooster sat prominently in the front yard — a man who identified himself as the brother of the property owner said the chickens were used only for their eggs and for a "hobby," not for fighting.
38000 block of Sierra Lane
Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Jason Faw said that roosters were found tethered to barrels spaced apart to keep the fowl from attacking each other and that the body parts of some had been clipped in apparent preparation for fighting.
Although in county custody, the animals have remained at both properties under supervision of animal control officers because the county's animal shelter is not equipped to handle that many birds, animal control spokeswoman Laura Rizer said. Rizer declined to discuss specifics in the cases. The seizure at the Sierra Lane property resulted from an anonymous tip, too, and the site has been under investigation by animal control since early summer, Rizer said.
According to a search warrant affidavit, the tip about the Berlin Turnpike residence also said a fight was scheduled for Monday night. After the search, court records show, officers recovered several items that Goodwin said are common to the cockfighting world, including four "training mitts" — miniature boxing gloves placed on the animals to test their strength in mock fights — antibiotics, trophies, and gamecock books and magazines. Red wax string was also found, which Goodwin said is often used to tie blades to the animals before fights.
Goodwin said he visited the Sierra Lane property about eight months ago, after getting an anonymous tip about poor conditions for animals there. He said that from the road, he observed several tethered roosters and that there were far more roosters than hens, both of which he called signs of a cockfighting operation.
Roosters used for cockfighting are typically come from an aggressive breed, which necessitates separating them on a farm, Goodwin said.
Copyright 2008 The Washington Post Company
Saturday, November 1, 2008
The truth about cockfighting
Courtesy of The Humane Society of the United States:
Cockfighting Fact Sheet
1. What is cockfighting?
Cockfighting is a centuries-old blood sport in which two or more specially bred birds, known as gamecocks, are placed in an enclosure to fight, for the primary purposes of gambling and entertainment. A cockfight usually results in the death of one of the birds; sometimes it ends in the death of both. A typical cockfight can last anywhere from several minutes to more than half an hour.
2. How does it cause animal suffering?
The birds, even those who do not die, suffer in cockfights. The birds cannot escape from the fight, regardless of how exhausted or injured they become. Common injuries include punctured lungs, broken bones, and pierced eyes. Such severe injuries occur because the birds' legs are usually fitted with razor-sharp steel blades or with gaffs, which resemble three-inch-long, curved ice picks. These artificial spurs are designed to puncture and mutilate.
3. Are there other concerns?
Yes. Law enforcement raids across the country have revealed several disturbing facets of this so-called sport. Gambling is the norm at cockfights. Thousands of dollars can exchange hands as spectators and animal owners wager large sums on their favorite birds. The owners of birds who win the most fights in a derby (a series of cockfights) may win tens of thousands of dollars of presumably unreported income. Firearms and other weapons are common at cockfights, mainly because of the large amounts of cash present. In addition, cockfighting has been connected to other kinds of violence—even homicide, according to newspaper reports.
Law enforcement officials have documented a strong connection between cockfighting and the distribution of illegal drugs. Drug enforcement agents often learn about animal fighting operations as a result of narcotics investigations.
The presence of young children at cockfights is an especially disturbing element. Exposure to such brutality can promote insensitivity toward animal suffering and enthusiasm for violence.
4. Aren't these birds natural fighters?
While it is true that birds will fight over food, territory, or mates, such fights are generally only to establish dominance within a group (the pecking order) and seldom result in serious injury. This natural behavior is quite different from what happens in staged cockfights, where pairs of birds, bred for maximum aggressiveness (and sometimes given steroids or other drugs to make them more successful fighters) are forced to fight until a winner is declared.
5. Isn't cockfighting part of our heritage?
While it is true that cockfighting has been practiced for centuries in various countries, including the United States, "old" does not necessarily mean right or even acceptable. At one time the United States allowed slavery, lacked child abuse laws, and refused women the vote.
6. Is there a trend toward treating the crime of cockfighting more seriously?
Yes. It is illegal in every state, and most states specifically prohibit anyone from being a spectator at a cockfight. Recently many states have increased the seriousness of a cockfighting charge from a misdemeanor to a felony. In addition, the federal Animal Welfare Act prohibits the interstate transport of any animal that is to be used in an animal fighting venture. We encourage prosecutors to indict those involved in cockfighting not only on illegal gaming charges but also for conspiracy to commit a crime and illegal gambling.
7. What can I do to help stop cockfighting?
If you live in one of the states where cockfighting is still only a misdemeanor, please write to your state legislators and urge them to make it a felony offense. To find out how your state treats cockfighting, visit our page on State Cockfighting Laws.
We encourage you also to write letters to the media to increase public awareness of the dangers of cockfighting and to law enforcement officials to urge them to take the issue seriously. You may also want to display our cockfighting "Born to Lose" poster in your community.
If you suspect that cockfighting is going on in your own neighborhood, alert your local law enforcement agency and urge agency officials to contact The HSUS for practical tools, advice and assistance.
Cockfighting Fact Sheet
1. What is cockfighting?
Cockfighting is a centuries-old blood sport in which two or more specially bred birds, known as gamecocks, are placed in an enclosure to fight, for the primary purposes of gambling and entertainment. A cockfight usually results in the death of one of the birds; sometimes it ends in the death of both. A typical cockfight can last anywhere from several minutes to more than half an hour.
2. How does it cause animal suffering?
The birds, even those who do not die, suffer in cockfights. The birds cannot escape from the fight, regardless of how exhausted or injured they become. Common injuries include punctured lungs, broken bones, and pierced eyes. Such severe injuries occur because the birds' legs are usually fitted with razor-sharp steel blades or with gaffs, which resemble three-inch-long, curved ice picks. These artificial spurs are designed to puncture and mutilate.
3. Are there other concerns?
Yes. Law enforcement raids across the country have revealed several disturbing facets of this so-called sport. Gambling is the norm at cockfights. Thousands of dollars can exchange hands as spectators and animal owners wager large sums on their favorite birds. The owners of birds who win the most fights in a derby (a series of cockfights) may win tens of thousands of dollars of presumably unreported income. Firearms and other weapons are common at cockfights, mainly because of the large amounts of cash present. In addition, cockfighting has been connected to other kinds of violence—even homicide, according to newspaper reports.
Law enforcement officials have documented a strong connection between cockfighting and the distribution of illegal drugs. Drug enforcement agents often learn about animal fighting operations as a result of narcotics investigations.
The presence of young children at cockfights is an especially disturbing element. Exposure to such brutality can promote insensitivity toward animal suffering and enthusiasm for violence.
4. Aren't these birds natural fighters?
While it is true that birds will fight over food, territory, or mates, such fights are generally only to establish dominance within a group (the pecking order) and seldom result in serious injury. This natural behavior is quite different from what happens in staged cockfights, where pairs of birds, bred for maximum aggressiveness (and sometimes given steroids or other drugs to make them more successful fighters) are forced to fight until a winner is declared.
5. Isn't cockfighting part of our heritage?
While it is true that cockfighting has been practiced for centuries in various countries, including the United States, "old" does not necessarily mean right or even acceptable. At one time the United States allowed slavery, lacked child abuse laws, and refused women the vote.
6. Is there a trend toward treating the crime of cockfighting more seriously?
Yes. It is illegal in every state, and most states specifically prohibit anyone from being a spectator at a cockfight. Recently many states have increased the seriousness of a cockfighting charge from a misdemeanor to a felony. In addition, the federal Animal Welfare Act prohibits the interstate transport of any animal that is to be used in an animal fighting venture. We encourage prosecutors to indict those involved in cockfighting not only on illegal gaming charges but also for conspiracy to commit a crime and illegal gambling.
7. What can I do to help stop cockfighting?
If you live in one of the states where cockfighting is still only a misdemeanor, please write to your state legislators and urge them to make it a felony offense. To find out how your state treats cockfighting, visit our page on State Cockfighting Laws.
We encourage you also to write letters to the media to increase public awareness of the dangers of cockfighting and to law enforcement officials to urge them to take the issue seriously. You may also want to display our cockfighting "Born to Lose" poster in your community.
If you suspect that cockfighting is going on in your own neighborhood, alert your local law enforcement agency and urge agency officials to contact The HSUS for practical tools, advice and assistance.
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