Association representing sheriffs in all 10 Granite State counties urges congressional delegation to pass legislation to strengthen enforcement against cockfighting and dogfighting.
CONCORD, N.H. — Declaring that staged animal fighting “remains a significant threat to public safety, animal welfare, and lawful commerce,” the New Hampshire Sheriff’s Association (NHSA) has formally endorsed the federal FIGHT Act, a federal bill to fortify the national law against dogfighting and cockfighting. The NHSA represents the elected sheriffs of all 10 counties in the Granite State.
With this endorsement, the FIGHT Act now has support from more than 1,000 law-enforcement agencies and organizations nationwide, including 38 state sheriffs and district attorneys’ associations, the National Sheriff’s Association, the National District Attorneys Association, and the Major County Sheriffs of America. The full roster of state and national law enforcement agencies is endorsing the FIGHT Act can be seen here
The NHSA letter emphasizes that illegal animal fighting is an organized criminal enterprise. The association warned that cockfighting and dogfighting rings “are often associated with illegal gambling, drug trafficking, weapons offenses, and other serious crimes,” and noted that fighting animals transported across state lines or into New Hampshire pose disease risks to poultry, livestock, and companion animals.
“The FIGHT Act provides essential tools for law enforcement to combat organized animal fighting networks that continue to exploit gaps in current law,” the NHSA wrote in its letter to the New Hampshire congressional delegation. “These operations jeopardize not only the animals involved, but also the safety and wellbeing of our communities.”
U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander is a cosponsor of the FIGHT Act, but Reps. Chris Pappas, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, and Senator Maggie Hassan have not yet cosponsored the legislation. Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane join the New Hampshire Sheriffs’ Association in thanking Rep. Goodlander and encouraging the other lawmakers to join the legislation as cosponsors.
S. 1454 is led by U.S. Sens. John Kennedy, R-La., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Senators Don Bacon, R-Neb., and Andrea Salinas, D-Ore., are the leaders of S. 3946. The bill would strengthen federal enforcement tools by banning the shipment of adult fighting birds through the U.S. mail, prohibiting online gambling on animal fights, authorizing civil forfeiture of property used in animal-fighting crimes, and enhancing penalties for repeat offenders.
“Animal fighting in our communities is the front edge of a crime wave, given that the people who stage fights between animals are involved in illegal gambling, money laundering, tax evasion, and often narcotics trafficking and even human-on-human violence,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. “We applaud the 10 county sheriffs of New Hampshire in making it plain that they’ll exhibit no tolerance for this criminal conduct.”
Animal Wellness Action and Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) have documented widespread animal fighting operations across the United States, including cockfighters who ship birds across state lines and overseas to supply fighting pits in Mexico, the Philippines, and other nations. These networks often rely on online gambling, social-media marketing, and interstate transport — all areas the FIGHT Act directly targets.
“We are grateful for the leadership of the New Hampshire Sheriff’s Association,” added Natalie Ahwesh, director of state affairs for Animal Wellness Action. “The FIGHT Act will give officers on the ground the tools they need to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the criminal networks behind dogfighting and cockfighting.”
The NHSA endorsement letter can be found here.
Animal Wellness Action also offers rewards to individuals who report information on animal fighting that leads to a conviction. Tips can be sent to animalcrueltytips@animalwellnessaction.org.