$2,500 Reward Offered Leading to Arrest and Prosecution of Perpetrators
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action announced it will provide a cash reward for information about the perpetrators of a horrific animal abuse case in Will County, Illinois centered around six dogs found dead in trash bags with all the telltale signs of dogfighting abuses. The organization is offering a reward of $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of this heinous crime.
According to law enforcement reports, the dogs showed clear signs of dogfighting, with multiple bite wounds and evidence of prolonged abuse. Law enforcement officials described the discovery as “horrifying” and “gruesome,” underscoring the barbarism often associated with illegal dogfighting operations.
Animal Wellness Action emphasized dogfighting is tied to broader criminal enterprises whose participants are involved with violence, illegal gambling, and trafficking.
“People involved in this kind of barbaric abuse of animals are a threat to the whole of society, not just to animals,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and founder of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. “People who do these horrible things to animals will not stop there. We urge anyone with information about the perpetrators to share that information confidentiality with law enforcement or our team.”
Pacelle stressed the importance” of passing the Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act, bipartisan legislation designed to strengthen federal enforcement against animal fighting ventures. He also applauded the introduction of an amendment to the House Farm bill, authored by Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, a former county sheriff, that includes key provisions of the FIGHT Act and may be considered if the broad-scope agricultural bill is taken up on the House floor.
“This new legislation would provide law enforcement the vital tools they need to dismantle these criminal enterprises—by shutting down illegal gambling, stopping the transport of fighting animals, and imposing stronger penalties,” Pacelle said. “Cases like this one in Illinois underscore the value of state and federal law enforcement partnerships to crack down on criminal animal fighting networks.”