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
The organization for Animal Cruelty Crimes Section at U.S. Department of Justice Tulsa, OK — Federal authorities charged a Tulsa man this week for illegal dogfighting activities, just weeks after unsealing a dogfighting indictment for a different man, former NFL player LeShon Johnson. Julius Deane Griffin, 43, was charged with 23 counts of prohibited dogfighting operations … Read more
Bipartisan legislation attracts nearly 800 endorsers, including Animal Wellness Action, the National Sheriffs’ Association, and the United Egg Producers Washington, D.C. — Driven by concerns over threats posed to commercial poultry production by illegal transports of fighting roosters, along with the barbarism and the comingled crimes associated with staged animal fighting, U.S. Senators John Kennedy, R-La., … Read more
Elizabeth City, N.C. — Animal Wellness Action assisted the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office with a cockfighting-related animal cruelty investigation and seizure of more than 50 ill and suffering roosters and hens from a location near Elizabeth City, N.C., in late March. Warrants for the arrest of three individuals have been issued, and an investigation is … Read more
Press Release Senate committee preserves the state’s anti-cockfighting law after witnesses exposed a deceptive bill and the transparent motivations of its cockfighting boosters Little Rock, AK — Just two days after the Arkansas House of Representatives approved HB 1611 to roll back the state’s popular and comprehensive anti-cockfighting law, the Senate Judiciary Committee overwhelmingly quashed the … Read more
Press Release The state has one of the strongest laws in the nation, and HB 1611 would gut that law in a campaign organized and conducted by known Oklahoma cockfighters Little Rock, AK — Yesterday, at the same time that Arkansas House members passed HB 1611 to remove prohibitions against a wide range of cockfighting … Read more
Animal Wellness Action and SHARK investigators sniff out, document, and trigger break-up of fourth Texas cockfighting derby in March Dallas TX — For the fourth time in the last month, and acting on tips from concerned citizens, Animal Wellness Action and Showing Animals and Kindness (SHARK) have been on site to document a series of … Read more
You can listen to this article here: Before then-National Football League phenom Michael Vick reminded the American public that dogfighting was an ongoing scourge, there was LeShon Johnson. The Oklahoma native and former NFL player ran Krazyside Kennels in the early 2000s and was convicted under state law in 2004 for his dogfighting ways. Yesterday, … Read more
This kind of robust enforcement, plus stronger anti-cruelty laws, is needed to wipeout animal-fighting ventures in America Broken Arrow, OK — Animal-welfare advocates applauded federal officials at the FBI and the Department of Justice for the arrest of Broken Arrow man Leshon Eugene Johnson, the former NFL running back and kick returner, following a grand … Read more
Incident is another indicator of the need for upgrade of state and federal laws to eradicate illegal staged animal fighting, animal welfare groups say Greenfield, CA — Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, applauded the work of Greenfield Police for making a cockfighting interdiction outside of city limits Friday night, where 40 … Read more
SHARK and Animal Wellness Action Sniff Out, Document, and Trigger Break-Up of Third Texas Cockfighting Derby During March Ferris, TX — For the third time in the last month, and acting on tips from concerned citizens, Showing Animals and Kindness (SHARK) and Animal Wellness Action were on site to document illegal cockfighting derbies in Texas … Read more
Press Release Texas is a hub for cockfighting, and the failure to act allows lawbreakers to commit more crimes in their communities Mount Pleasant, TX — Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) and Animal Wellness Action expressed grave disappointment that the Titus County Sheriffs’ Office failed to request a search warrant to enter a cockfighting … Read more
Animal fighting is bound up with murder, mayhem, lawlessness You can listen to this article here: Staged animal fighting is not only one of the most sickening forms of human cruelty, it is one of the most widespread. We concur with an assessment from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that there may be 20 to … Read more
The FIGHT Act steps up enforcement to end barbaric, crime-infested fighting operations Polk County, FL — Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, applauded the work of Polk County sheriff’s deputies for acting swiftly and appropriately upon accidental discovery of an illegal animal fighting situation. Deputies had responded … Read more
Press Release Oklahoma cockfighters lobby lawmakers during the week to decriminalize animal fights, and then participate in their felonious staged animal combat on weekends Tulsa, OK — Today, Animal Wellness Action and SHARK (Showing Animals Respect and Kindness) released investigative footage of two cockfights that occurred on both sides of the Red River—one in Murray County, … Read more
Kentucky State Police have stepped up their work to combat numerous cockfighting rings, but even more enforcement action required to root out staged fighting Bourbon County, KY — Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy applauded the Kentucky State Police (KSP) and Bourbon County Sheriff’s Department for its recent raid on an … Read more
Press Release The House is expected to dispense with bills offered by state representative and cockfighting enthusiast J.J. Humphrey this week Oklahoma City, OK — The latest effort to gut the state law establishing strong penalties for the crime of cockfighting was met with another defeat on Tuesday, with the Oklahoma Senate Public Safety Committee … Read more
Action shows ongoing need for FIGHT Act as response to animal fighting, spread of bird flu EL PASO, Texas — Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy applaud El Paso County’s Animal Welfare Unit for its recent raid on an alleged cockfighting operation in El Paso, Texas. Upon arrival at the scene, … Read more
Ohio law enforcement, humane groups, and agricultural groups want the FIGHT Act to complement local and state efforts to crack down on animal fighting Lorain County, OH — Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy applaud The Friendship Animal Protective League (FAPL) for its recent raid on an alleged cockfighting operation in … Read more
Cruel bloodsport continues despite link to bird flu, calling for passage of national FIGHT Act to stiffen penalties Mays Landing, NJ — A grand jury in Atlantic County indicted 48 individuals Wednesday in connection with an illegal cockfighting operation, in which dozens of injured roosters, and dogs in poor condition were seized. Defendants were charged with … Read more
Press Statement EXPERT INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE Groups note that cockfighting is a potential superspreader of H5N1 Louisville, KY — Leaders with Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK), the Center for a Humane Economy, and Animal Wellness Action applauded the Kentucky State Police (KSP) for its latest arrest for an alleged illegal cockfighting operation. Yesterday, KSP Post … Read more
Asheville, NC — Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy say North Carolina’s anti-cockfighting law comes up short in helping law enforcement crack down on a crime wave of underground criminal networks involved in cockfighting. The state’s law is in urgent need of major repair in this year’s state legislative session in … Read more
Our multi-pronged assault on animal fighting requires your help Animal fighting is a parade of horrors. Dogfighters put dogs of the same weight in an enclosed pit and goad them to attack each other, with blood staining every inch of the pits and the contests sometimes lasting more than an hour. The people who stage … Read more
Agency response is gutting a key sector of agriculture, costing consumers and taxpayers more than $20 billion and doing little to stem spread of runaway bird flu H5N1 Washington, D.C. — In a letter sent today to Agriculture Secretary nominee Brooke Rollins, agricultural veterinarians and an executive from the Center for a Humane Economy and … Read more
Vaccinating birds, cracking down on cockfighting a good start The USDA’s response to the H5N1 crisis continues to be, in a word, a disaster. Bungled. Expensive. Deadly. And not protective of the American public. It’s a performance that should raise the hackles of every American, whether they care about animal welfare, their own health and … Read more
Press Release 10 birds seized, with arrests in Atoka and Murray counties Tulsa, OK — Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy applauded federal and local law enforcement in Southern Oklahoma for enforcing laws against illegal possession and transportation of fighting roosters for cockfighting. The interdiction, resulting in the arrest two Texas men … Read more
Press Release Had state lawmakers acted on a series of bills to make cockfighting a felony over the last decade, Johnny Ray Wilburn may not have committed a triple homicide. Nashville, TN — A notorious, twice-arrested Tennessee cockfighter murdered a family of three in Walland, Tenn., this weekend and then burned down their home, according … Read more
Cockfighting busts imperative given spread of bird flu threatening agriculture and human health Yucaipa, CA — Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy applauded San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office for busting a criminal cockfighting operation yesterday in Yucaipa. The interdiction resulted in the arrest two men, detention of 33 others, and the seizure of … Read more
Fort Lauderdale, FL — Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, applauded the work of FBI agents in a major animal fighting raid that led to the arrest of one of South Florida’s top dogfighters at his Deerfield Beach home on Tuesday. Authorities seized nearly three dozen dogs … Read more
Press Release Cockfighting is a potential superspreader of H5N1 Louisville, KY — Leaders and scientists with Animal Wellness Action, Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK), and the Center for a Humane Economy called out cockfighting as a “runaway crime” and a “viral superspreader” in Kentucky and said that it poses a direct and documented threat … Read more
Misguided and misdirected response resulted in mass killing of animals and creating conditions for viral spillover to human beings Pierre, S.D. — Two veterinarians — each with career-long experience in animal agriculture and with additional academic training and professional experience in public health and infectious disease response — leveled detailed criticisms at top officials at … Read more
Cockfighting busts imperative given spread of bird flu threatening agriculture and human health San Joaquin County, CA — Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy applauded San Joaquin Sheriff’s Office deputies for busting a criminal cockfighting operation along Atkins Road, east of Lodi Saturday, where they discovered 35 dead roosters, along with animal … Read more
Due to a series of wrong-headed responses by a lax and inflexible federal agriculture agency, the bird flu crisis has become more acute as we approach the three-year mark for the epidemic in the homeland The U.S. bird flu H5N1 epidemic that began in February 2022 continues unabated and approaching a three-year run, with no … Read more
Press Statrement EXPERT INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE 54 arrests for animal cruelty show Kentucky state police are taking animal fighting, related crimes seriously. Louisville, KY — Leaders of Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK), Animal Wellness Action, and the Center for a Humane Economy applauded Kentucky State Police for a weekend bust of a cockfight that resulted in … Read more
Sacramento, CA — Following the declaration of a state of emergency over bird flu in California, the Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action are raising alarms over the public health risks posed by rampant and widespread illegal cockfighting operations, which threaten to spread the disease to California’s enormous commercial poultry flocks and, … Read more
Press Statement EXPERT INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE FIGHT Act now before Congress will strengthen tools for cops and citizens to further clamp down on a crime that too often goes uncharged, unprosecuted. Tulsa, OK — Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy applauded the Grady County Sheriff’s Office for busting a cockfighting operation and large case of … Read more
Yet one more mass shooting at a cockfight — the third in Mexico in recent months — underscores violence associated with trafficking of fighting animals, as Congress dithers on the FIGHT Act Washington, D.C. — A handful of lawmakers in Congress blocked final action on the FIGHT Act, and just days after that unfortunate obstructionism, … Read more
Last week, Frederick Moorfield, who was a senior communications officer at the Department of Defense, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for running a dogfighting network in Maryland and Washington, D.C. It was a deeply disturbing revelation that a Pentagon official could be involved in this evil enterprise. Hats off to federal officials … Read more
Douglas Moorfield Jr. was found with scarred dogs, execution tools, blood-stained carpets from decades-old fighting ring. Washington, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy applauded U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett for handing down an 18-month sentence in federal prison to former Pentagon official and Department of Defense senior communications … Read more
Arizona Sheriffs’ Association supports the FIGHT Act to step up enforcement and end barbaric, crime-infested fighting operations Pima County, AZ — Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, applauded the work of Pima County sheriff’s deputies for identifying and immediately busting a large-scale cockfighting operation they discovered when … Read more
Incident is another indicator of the need for federal law to eradicate illegal staged animal fighting, animal welfare groups say Sacramento County, CA — Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, applauded the work of Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office for uncovering a large-scale cockfighting ring with 200 fighting … Read more
Press Release Cockfighting deserves more than home detention, owing to cruelty involved and inherent threats to nearby communities Louisville, KY — Two national animal welfare groups say a federal judge came up short when he declined to impose any prison time for a cockfighting pit operator in eastern Kentucky. Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. … Read more
Deputies found 20 people at cockfight, including children Hermiston, OR — Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, today applauded deputies from the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office for arresting a man allegedly connected to a cockfighting ring in Hermiston. “We applaud Umatilla County Sheriff’s deputies who disrupted this barbaric and criminal cockfighting … Read more
There’s something wrong with this picture. Or, rather, this video. In 2019, Arkansas cockfighter John Slavin spoke freely on camera to two hosts from BNTV, a Philippines-based cockfighting network, at his farm near the Oklahoma border in western Arkansas about the prowess of his fighting birds. “We got sold out last year,” clarifying that his … Read more