Press Release Anthony Devore and Blake Pearce have raised money from other cockfighters across the nation to donate at least $70,000 to politicians in an attempt to decriminalize staged animal fights McIntosh County, OK — On successive weekends, undercover investigators with Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy recorded Anthony Devore and … Read more
CRAWFORD COUNTY, Ind. — Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, issued the following statement regarding the recent arrest of a Grantsburg couple in connection with illegal cockfighting activity uncovered following a vehicle incident in Harrison County: “Cockfighting is a grotesque and archaic form of cruelty that has … Read more
LOGAN COUNTY, Okla.— Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, issued the following statement regarding the Sunday, May 25, 2025, arrests of eight people in Logan County, Oklahoma, on charges related to cockfighting. “Cockfighting is a gruesome and senseless form of animal abuse, and it is rightly treated as a … Read more
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, issued the following statement regarding the recent arrest of 42 individuals in connection with an illegal cockfighting operation in southwest Miami-Dade: “Cockfighting is a grotesque and archaic form of cruelty that has no place in any community,” … Read more
MARENGO, Ill. — Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, issued the following statement regarding the recent arrest in Marengo, Illinois, on charges related to cockfighting and animal cruelty: “Cockfighting is a gruesome and senseless form of animal abuse, and it is rightly treated as a felony under Illinois and … Read more
LOS ANGELES , CA — Animal-welfare advocates applauded the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing 25 separate animal cruelty cases, a decisive action in response to a disturbing string of abuse incidents reported throughout the county. Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, issued the following … Read more
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Animal-welfare advocates are commending the U.S. Department of Justice and its federal law enforcement partners for bringing to justice the final defendant in a violent, multi-state dogfighting network that operated across the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia region. Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, issued the following statement: … Read more
Washington, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action applauds the recent actions of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Cincinnati Port of Entry for intercepting a shipment containing illegal cockfighting paraphernalia. The equipment, 10 pairs of leather cockspur covers, and 10 cockfighting knife sheaths originated in Mexico and was destined for a residence in … Read more
Harrison County, MS — Animal-welfare advocates applauded federal officials at the ICE Homeland Security Task Force and the Border Enforcement Security Task Force for the arrest of more than two dozen people who were gathered in a barn near Lizana, Mississippi, that had a fighting arena lined with plexiglass and rows of seating for spectators. Wayne … Read more
Topeka, KS — Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, issued the following statement regarding the recent arrest in Topeka on charges of cockfighting and animal cruelty. “Cockfighting is a barbaric form of animal abuse, and it is a felony under Kansas and federal law,” said Pacelle. “In … Read more