Here we go again. China’s “wet markets” have triggered one more global health epidemic. Wet markets are open-air abattoirs, offering up dozens of species of live animals, including fish in tanks and wildlife in crates, for selection and slaughter by those with an appetite for biodiversity. These pop-up butcheries, with animals jammed in cages and … Read more
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Animal Wellness Foundation (AWF) and Animal Wellness Action (AWA) today provided a preview of its 30-second television advertisement to air during Sunday’s Super Bowl on Guam. The ad features two Guamanians of Chamorro descent who describe cockfighting as “about gambling, not about our culture” and ending “the medieval practice of having animals … Read more
Animal welfare leaders argue that the government of Guam should not act as a “pass-through enterprise” or a “go-between” for cockfighters breaking the law WASHINGTON, D.C. — Shipping records obtained from the territorial Department of Agriculture revealed that there were 137 individuals who imported nearly 9,000 fighting birds onto Guam over the last three years. It is … Read more
In the wake of a major investigation that exposed hundreds of illegal cockfighting transports shipped from cockfighters in 15 states to Guam, Governor Lou Leon Guerrero of the Pacific Island territory announced that she’d confer with her legal advisors on the subject and decide whether to act on the request by Animal Wellness Action (AWA) … Read more
The non-profit organizations obtained live-animal shipping records showing more than 500 illegal shipments of fighting birds WASHINGTON, D.C. — Cockfighters from the U.S. mainland made more than 500 illegal transports of fighting birds to customers on Guam, according to an analysis by the Animal Wellness Foundation and Animal Wellness Action of 2500 pages of live-animal shipping records … Read more
California Leads the Way Among the States This holiday season, I am grateful for legislative actions crafted not only to end malicious cruelty to animals, but also a variety of forms of large-scale, institutionalized cruelty. A comprehensive national ban on animal fighting – after a decades-long campaign – went into effect on December 20th. It’s a … Read more
Governor and Commonwealth Legislature Passed Sham Cockfighting Bill on the Eve of the Effective Date of the Federal Law Outlawing This Form of Cruelty Washington, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action (AWA) and the Animal Wellness Foundation (AWF) sent a letter today to Puerto Rico’s Governor Wanda Vázquez that denounces her recent signing of a bill … Read more
Penalties Are the Same for Dogfighting or Cockfighting Violations, Providing for Up to 5 Years in Prison for a Single Violation WASHINGTON, D.C. — The federal animal fighting law took effect first in Guam, given that the island territory is “where America’s day begins,” and the Animal Wellness Foundation (AWF) and Animal Wellness Action (AWA) urge cockfighters … Read more
It’s been an extraordinarily eventful period in the national debate over animal fighting, with the federal law that Animal Wellness Action shepherded to passage taking effect everywhere in the United States today. Congress gave Guam, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories one year to wind down this practice, and that day has come. Under the … Read more
Groups Urge the United States to Shut Down the Fighting Pits, Including Ones Planning to Operate Tomorrow Night Washington, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action (AWA) and the Animal Wellness Foundation (AWF) denounced the political posturing of Puerto Rico’s Governor Wanda Vázquez and state legislators in passing a bill to authorize cockfighting. The action happened on … Read more