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 Release 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 the arrests of … Read more