One dozen pit bulls found in home, witness says, suggesting a fighting operation
Washington D.C. — Breaking and developing news is that three officers with the Metropolitan Police Department were wounded in a shooting Wednesday morning while attempting to serve a search warrant for animal cruelty.
Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action, offers this statement:
“We are deeply concerned about the officers shot today in dealing with an animal cruelty case, and we pray for their well-being and a swift recovery. Their sacrifice is a reminder of the hazards enforcement officers face in dealing with people exhibiting malice toward animals. The sociological evidence is clear: acts of cruelty to animals are typically intertwined with outbursts of violence to people, whether it’s a spouse, a child, or even a law enforcement officer. Cruelty to animals, and dogfighting in particular, are forms of social violence that demand our full attention.”
There are a number of federal anti-cruelty policy reforms in play in Congress. Perhaps the most relevant one is the FIGHT Act, H.R. 2742/S. 1529, to address the scourge of dogfighting, added Pacelle. The practice is widespread in our nation, as is cockfighting. At the end of November, two Mississippi men were shot execution-style in the head at a dogfight. The perpetrators are still at large, and Animal Wellness Action has offered a reward of $5,000 to people who provide information leading to the arrest of the killers.
The FIGHT Act has more than 450 endorsing agencies and organizations, including 200 law enforcement agencies. It would strengthen existing federal law against dogfighting and cockfighting by allowing a private right of action against dogfighters and cockfighting, banning on-line gambling on animal fights, allowing for criminal forfeiture of equipment and properties used in the commission of these crimes, and enhancing prohibitions on shipping fighting roosters through the U.S. mail. Animal Wellness Action has discovered that cockfighters annually send tens of thousands of live roosters for cockfights in boxes through the U.S. mail.