ACTION ALERT:
1)
FIND YOUR DISTRICT
2)
WRITE YOUR HOUSE REPRESENATIVE and tell them to support S.B. 16 supporting tougher penalties for animal fighting.
Georgia State Senate Unanimously Approves Tougher Penalties for Animal Fighting
March 2, 2007
ATLANTA – The Humane Society of The United States today commended Georgia's 54 state senators for unanimously passing a bill strengthening the state's existing weak animal fighting law.
Introduced by Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock), the Dog Fighting Act, S.B.16, will close current loopholes and make it much tougher for animal fighting to flourish in Georgia. It would ensure people caught in raids on dog fighting pits would not escape prosecution, including those betting on the fights and those awaiting their dogs' turn in the pit.
Georgia is the only state in the nation where it is currently legal to both attend a dog fight and to possess or breed dogs with the intent to fight.
"The HSUS thanks Senator Rogers for his leadership in efforts to rid our state of the deadly scourge of animal fighting," said Richard Rice, Georgia state program manager for The HSUS. "By establishing felony-level penalties and closing loopholes, this bill gives law enforcement the power it needs to wipe out animal fighting statewide."
The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for approval.
Facts
· Under S.B. 16, a person who receives a first conviction for breaking the law could face between one and five years in prison, a minimum fine of $5,000, or both.
· Besides the obvious cruelty, community safety is another reason to banish dog fighting from Georgia. The mixture of a violent blood sport with huge sums of gambling money creates a combustible atmosphere in which other violent crimes, including murder, can occur. Last year, eight murders related to illegal animal fighting occurred across the country, two in neighboring North Carolina.
· A separate piece of federal legislation is being considered 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 25 cosponsors in the Senate and 30r cosponsors in the House of Representatives. The House Judiciary Committee has already approved H.R. 137 and it now moves to the floor for vote. The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to hold a markup of the bill next week.
· Lawmakers across the country are working to strengthen anti-animal fighting laws; legislators in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New Mexico, Tennessee and Texas are all considering bills that address the issue.
Media contact: Martin Montorfano, 301-258-3152,
mmontorfano@hsus.org
http://hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/georgia_senate_dog_fighting.html
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
1) FIND YOUR DISTRICT
2) WRITE YOUR HOUSE REPRESENATIVE and tell them to support S.B. 16 supporting tougher penalties for animal fighting.
