WASHINGTON, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy today praised the Kentucky Sheriffs’ Association for endorsing the bipartisan Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act, federal legislation designed to crack down on dogfighting and cockfighting rings that continue to operate across the United States, including in Kentucky, a national hotbed for organized animal fighting.
“Cockfighting is a barbaric and lawless pursuit that not only inflicts suffering on animals but also brings with it illegal gambling, narcotics, and other forms of violent crime,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. “We applaud the Kentucky Sheriffs’ Association for standing up for the rule of law and safer communities by endorsing the FIGHT Act. Their leadership sends a clear message that animal fighting won’t be tolerated — not in Kentucky, and not anywhere.”
The FIGHT Act, H.R. 2742 and S. 1529, introduced by Senators John Kennedy, R-La., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., along with Reps Don Bacon, R-Neb., and Andrea Salinas, D-Ore., would strengthen enforcement tools against animal fighting operations, including enhancing forfeiture provisions for convicted animal fighters and banning online gambling on the practices.
Recent investigations by Animal Wellness Action and SHARK (Showing Animals Respect and Kindness) have documented widespread illegal cockfighting in Kentucky, with large-scale derbies drawing hundreds of spectators and participants. These events often go unchecked, despite being felonies under both state and federal law.
“The Kentucky Sheriffs’ Association knows firsthand how animal fighting harms communities — it is not just about animal cruelty, it’s about organized crime,” added Pam Rogers, state director for Animal Wellness Action in Kentucky. “We’re proud to stand with them in this effort to pass meaningful legislation that gives law enforcement the tools they need to shut these operations down.”
The FIGHT Act has now been endorsed by 900 agencies and organizations, National Sheriffs’ Association, the National District Attorneys Association, and 23 state sheriffs’ associations, including neighboring associations in Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee.
A fact sheet on the FIGHT Act can be found here.