State’s leading law enforcement organization urges Florida’s entire congressional delegation to take swift action against combat dogfighting and cockfighting crimes
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Declaring that serious animal cruelty crimes demand stronger federal enforcement and coordination, Florida’s law enforcement community has united to endorse two anti-cruelty, anti-crime measures now being considered by Congress.
The Florida Sheriffs’ Association is calling on Congress to pass the Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act to combat dogfighting and cockfighting, while the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association (FPAA) has endorsed the FIGHT Act and also the Animal Cruelty Enforcement (ACE) Act, H.R. 1477, to strengthen the capacity for state and federal law enforcement to investigate and prosecute felony animal cruelty offenses.
“Federal enforcement under the ACE Act would complement state efforts, provide much-needed investigative assistance, and reduce prosecutorial burden at the local level,” wrote Amira Fox, president of the FPAA, in a letter to Congress.
“The federal government can play an essential role in helping us enforce the laws to halt inhumane animal fights,” wrote Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper on behalf of the Florida Sheriffs’ Association. “These are often complex operations, requiring multiple agencies stretching across states, territories, and even nations. Sheriffs have finite resources and may be unable to conduct a complete investigation if an animal fighting ring stretches across county or state lines.”
The FIGHT Act, H.R. 3946 and S. 1454, bans online gambling on dogfights and cockfights, enhances criminal forfeiture provisions, stops shipments of fighting roosters by the U.S. Postal Service, and allows citizens to bring civil action against organized animal fighters to protect their property rights and to preserve their home values. The ACE Act, H.R. 1477, would establish a dedicated Animal Cruelty Crimes Section within the U.S. Department of Justice.
Animal fighting is disturbingly widespread in Florida. Last summer, in Miami-Dade County, authorities busted a cockfighting ring involving dozens of people in Florida after someone reported a fight involving people wielding machetes in interpersonal violence, according to arrest reports. While in March 2025, in March 2025, deputies uncovered a cockfighting operation involving injured birds, metal gaffs, and a fighting pit. In June, two men were arrested after officers uncovered a cockfighting ring at a home in Davie.
“Florida’s sheriffs and prosecutors know that malicious cruelty is often bound up with a range of other crimes that degrade the safety and civility in our communities,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. “Animal Wellness Action is proud to partner with sheriffs and prosecutors in all 67 counties to root out malicious cruelty, especially the scourges of dogfighting and cockfighting.”
Laurie Hood, Florida state director for Animal Wellness Action, added, “From cockfighting rings to dogfighting operations, Florida law enforcement sees firsthand how these crimes endanger communities, exploit animals, and drain public resources. We applaud Florida’s prosecutors and sheriffs for standing up for stronger enforcement and urging Congress to act.”
The $300 billion casino industry also supports the FIGHT Act. “Illegal gambling operations provide an easy avenue for money laundering, and the proceeds generated through these operations are often used to facilitate other serious forms of crime,”wrote William C. Miller, Jr., president and CEO of the American Gaming Association.
“These illegal operations also offer wagers on activities that are themselves illegal – namely dogfighting and cockfighting,” Miller wrote. We are deeply concerned about the proliferation of betting on animal fights on the web, and support efforts to interdict these crimes.” Online wagering on cockfights in the Philippines alone came in at $13 billion in 2022. There were more than 100 people murdered associated with disputes over cockfighting.
America’s egg industry is also deeply concerned about the role of cockfighting in spreading avian disease to the U.S. egg and poultry industries. “Ten of the 15 U.S. vND (virulent Newcastle Disease) outbreaks originating from smuggled gamefowl from Mexico into the United States caused major disease epidemics in southern California in 2002-03 and 2018-20,” said Chad Gregory, president and CEO of the United Egg Producers, the nation’s major trade association for the industry. “At least 16 million birds died and more than $1 billion was spent to control U.S.-centered vND outbreaks.”
The FIGHT Act has 15 House cosponsors: Reps. Aaron Bean, R-FL-4, Gus Bilirakis, R-FL-12, Vern Buchanan, R-FL-16, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-FL-20, Scott Franklin, R-FL-18, Carlos Gimenez, R-FL-28, Mike Haridopolos, R-FL-8, Laurel Lee, R-FL-15, Anna Paulina Luna, Brian Mast, R-FL-21, Jimmy Patronis, R-FL-1, John Rutherford, R-FL-5, Maria Salazar, R-FL-27, Darren Soto, D-FL-9, and Daniel Webster, R-FL-11.
H.R. 1477 currently has more than 40 cosponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Florida cosponsors of H.R. 1477 are Reps. Darren Soto, D-FL-9, Carlos A. Gimenez, R-FL-28, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-FL-20, and Lois Frankel, D-FL-22. These bipartisan cosponsors underscore broad support from Florida lawmakers for the ACE Act’s goals.