Oklahoma Sheriffs’ Association Backs FIGHT Act, Signaling Momentous Shift on Long-Discussed Issue in the Sooner State

TULSA — Declaring that the FIGHT Act “provides urgently needed tools to combat the widespread and highly organized animal fighting that continues to threaten public safety, law and order, and animal welfare across Oklahoma and beyond,” the Oklahoma Sheriffs’ Association (OSA) has endorsed the federal FIGHT Act to fortify the national law against staged animal fighting. This is the first-ever statement by the association, representing the elected sheriffs of 77 counties in Oklahoma, against cockfighting. With the OSA endorsement, the FIGHT Act has attracted 1,000 endorsing agencies and organizations.

In a state where illegal cockfighters have operated brazenly and openly, even creating a political organization to lobby state lawmakers, the OSA endorsement of the FIGHT Act signals a momentous political shift against cockfighting and a statewide consensus against this malicious form of cruelty to animals. Three leaders of the so-called Oklahoma Gamefowl Commission – a front group for cockfighters that violated the rules established by the Oklahoma Ethics Commission – have been charged for illegal cockfighting activities, including OGC president Anthony DeVore and vice president Blake Pearce this summer by the Cherokee Marshal Service and the McIntosh County District Attorney’s Office.

“Cockfighting pits are often centers of gambling, narcotics, and violence, drawing offenders from across state lines,” wrote Kyle Keller, deputy director of the OSA, in a letter to the members of Oklahoma’s seven-member congressional delegation. “Families living near these operations are exposed to danger, and communities are degraded by the criminal culture that accompanies them. The movement of fighting birds across state lines is a disease vector which threatens agricultural poultry operations.”

The OSA is the 28^th state sheriffs’ association to endorse the FIGHT Act, and it joins the Kansas Sheriffs’ Association, the Missouri Sheriffs’ Association, and the Texas Sheriffs’ Association as endorsers. The National Sheriffs’ Association and the National District Attorneys’ Association are also backing the FIGHT Act. “For many rural sheriff’s offices with limited manpower and budgets, these provisions provided by the FIGHT Act would be indispensable,” said Keller.

“The pro-cockfighting movement is dead in Oklahoma and the criminals who continue to engage in this activity will inevitably face a legal comeuppance if they persist,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and a key architect of the 2002 ballot measure that made cockfighting a felony in the Sooner State. “Never before have the 77 county sheriffs in Oklahoma spoken with this kind of unanimity against cockfighting and for the adoption of stronger laws to eradicate it.”

A March 2023 Sooner Survey statewide poll noted that “there are few issues that unite Oklahomans more than their belief that cockfighting should be illegal,” said pollster Pat McFerron. “Fully 87% say this practice should be illegal while only 8% oppose.” The poll revealed that “while 88% of those in the two metro areas oppose this, we see 87% of those in the 71-rural counties having the same belief.”

The FIGHT Act, H.R. 2742 and S. 1529, introduced by Sens. 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 Oklahoma, with large-scale cockfights drawing hundreds of spectators and participants. In June, Animal Wellness Action investigators captured video of Mr. Devore and Mr. Pearce at cockfighting derbies. In October, Animal Wellness Action, the Center for a Humane Economy, and SHARK released a damning report identifying a vast network of cockfighters operating in a corridor between Tulsa and Dallas.

Dogfighting is also a problem in Oklahoma. Leshon Eugene Johnson of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was convicted in federal court in August 2025 on six felony counts related to possessing dogs for use in a fighting venture. A 2024 investigation in Creek County led to 23 counts of dog fighting and several other charges, including possession of firearms and drugs against Julius Deane Griffin.

“The Oklahoma Sheriffs’ Association knows firsthand how animal fighting undermines community safety,” added Kevin Chambers, state director for Animal Wellness Action,based in Tulsa. “We’re proud to stand with the sheriffs to pass a law that gives law enforcement the tools they need to shut these operations down for good.”

Animal Wellness Action also offers rewards to citizens who report animal fighting which leads to conviction. Tips can be sent to the organization at animalcrueltytips@animalwellnessaction.org.

The Oklahoma Sheriffs’ Association letter can be found here. The National Sheriffs’ Association endorsement can be found here. A fact sheet on the FIGHT Act can be found here.