Florida Animal Fighting Law May Get Tougher. Congress Considers Federal Legislation
Posted January 29, 2013 09:45 am | Public News Service
Rescued:
Another dog waits for rescue
from a dog-fighting operation in
St. Louis, Mo., July 8, 2009.
Federal agents said dogs unable
or unwilling to fight were shot
in the head and thrown in a
river or burned in barrels.
Author:
CBS News Staff Credit
TALLAHASSEE, FL - A bill filed Monday in the Florida Legislature would give local law enforcement the tools to hold accountable people who break existing animal-fighting laws. Florida has one of the strongest animal-fighting laws in the country, but a 2010 court ruling requires law enforcement to catch people in the act of breaking the law rather than accepting evidence as proof.
Links:
•
Humane Society of the United States
•
Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act
•
Ranking of state dog fighting laws
Kate MacFall, Florida State Director for the Humane Society of the United States, says that's not a realistic expectation.
"Nobody supports animal fighting, and it's not safe for law enforcement to try to catch them in the act," she says. "It's nearly impossible."
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The introduction of this state bill comes as a
federal bill before Congress has bipartisan support. The
Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act would outlaw
spectators' attendance at organized animal fights. There
would be additional penalties for anyone bringing an
underage person to such an event.
MacFall says having a uniform federal law would help
support the already strong animal-fighting laws in the
state of Florida. She says it would also enable law
enforcement to cross state lines to hold animal-fighting
rings accountable, since many move among multiple
states.
"The federal law would really put some oomph into many
of the state laws and let the feds handle it, which
would be the appropriate way to go. "
The Humane Society of the United States says animal
fighting often is associated with gangs, illegal weapons
and narcotics. That claim is supported by a three-year
study by the Chicago Police Department that found 70
percent of animal offenders had also been arrested for
other felonies, including battery, drug trafficking, and
sex crimes.
Links and photos added by the Observer