[Vision2020] [Spam] The President Signs Landmark AnimalFightingLegislation!!

[Tom Hansen]

I am certain that there is a movement in Arizona to criminalize
cockfighting.

My primary concern, as has been brought up various times by Rep. Tom Trail,
is Idaho's lack of concern for dogs that are trained to fight to the death
here in Idaho for the sake of money.  Their diet (I have read and have been
told) consists of food heavily laced with gun powder (which slowly and
permanently destroys the dog's brain).  Once these dogs are deemed no longer
effective, they are normally turned loose (usually with broken limbs and
bleeding) in the wilds of Idaho.

Currently, raising dogs for these fights amounts to nothing more than a
misdemeanor.

Such punishment MUST be hardened.

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students. The college
students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."

- Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007)

-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of lfalen
Sent: Friday, May 04, 2007 1:06 PM
To: Saundra Lund; 'Vision 2020'
Cc: ttrail at house.idaho.gov
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] [Spam] The President Signs Landmark
AnimalFightingLegislation!!

It is good that this bill has passed and has been signed. The problem now is
enforcement. When I was in Arizona cockfighting as illegal, but it was still
a big business.  Fighting cocks soid for over $1000.00. Hopefully a federal
law will be easier to enforce. Not holding my breath.

Roger
-----Original message-----
From: "Saundra Lund" sslund at roadrunner.com
Date: Fri, 04 May 2007 12:45:17 -0700
To: "'Vision 2020'" vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Spam] [Vision2020] The President Signs Landmark Animal
FightingLegislation!!

> Visionaires:
> 
> Drats -- I suppose it was only a matter of time until I had to send
> President Bush a thank-you note (even a stopped clock is right twice a
day),
> and today was the day  :-)))  For inquiring minds, yes -- I've already
sent
> it  :-)
> 
> Yet here in Idaho we remain in the Dark Ages  :-(((
> 
> Now more than ever it's of vital importance for Dr. Trail's efforts at
> reforming some of our animal laws to be successful!  Otherwise I fear
Idaho
> will become even more of a haven for these miscreants who will have a
> negative impact on our quality of life as well as put strains we can
> ill-afford on our criminal justice system.
> 
>
http://www.hsus.org/legislation_laws/federal_legislation/cruelty_issues/anim
> al_fighting_law_signed.html
> OR
> http://tinyurl.com/224op3
> 
> "The President Signs Landmark Animal Fighting Legislation 
>   
> May 3, 2007 
>  
> The fighting dog's life is full of misery.  
> 
> Today, President Bush signed into law a bill that will help law
enforcement
> rid the United States of dogfighting, cockfighting, and other forms of
> animal fighting.
> 
> Dogfighting and cockfighting crimes are rampant in the United States, with
> individuals arrested every week in scores of locations under state laws.
The
> vast underground networks generate pervasive animal cruelty, drug
> trafficking, illegal gambling, public corruption and even violence and
> murder. The Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act, which passed
> Congress with large bi-partisan support, will give law enforcement a
> stronger tool to crack down on this illegal activity.
> 
> "Animal fighting is a barbaric and inhumane practice, and it is fitting
and
> appropriate that we now have a national policy condemning and
criminalizing
> this form of organized animal cruelty," states Wayne Pacelle, president
and
> CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, which has led the national
> battle against animal fighting and been the primary advocate for this
> federal legislation.
> 
> The law takes effect immediately. It provides felony penalties for
> interstate commerce, import and export related to animal fighting
> activities, including commerce in cockfighting weapons. It will make it
much
> harder for criminals who engage in dogfighting and cockfighting to
continue
> their operations. Each violation of the federal law may bring up to three
> years in jail and up to a $250,000 fine for perpetrators. 
> 
> Cockfighting is outlawed in every state except Louisiana, although there
is
> mounting pressure in that state to ban the practice. Many states still
have
> misdemeanor penalties for cockfighting. The federal law slaps felony
> penalties on interstate cockfighting trafficking, and this should provide
an
> enormous deterrent for the tens of thousands of people involved in this
> criminal industry. 
> 
> The law will have a devastating impact on major breeders of fighting
> animals, who depend on customers from all over the United States and
abroad.
> Dog kennels rely on transporting their fighting dogs across state lines
and
> across the world to customers. The new law should substantially curb the
> transport of fighting animals across state and U.S. borders. The HSUS is
> already seeing some major breeders of fighting roosters cutting back on
> production. 
> 
> The Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act will help end the export
of
> fighting animals to other countries. Selling roosters to customers in the
> Philippines and other nations can be lucrative for American cockfighters.
> The new law puts increased pressure on the airlines to stop shipping
> roosters to cockfighting hot spots. 
> 
> The new law had been introduced by Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.), Rep.
Earl
> Blumenauer (D-Ore.), and Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.) in the House, and by
> Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.), Sen. Arlen
Specter
> (R-Pa.), and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in the Senate. It had also
> been endorsed by more than 500 groups, including all major humane
> organizations, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the National
> Chicken Council, the National Sheriffs' Association, and more than 400
local
> law enforcement agencies covering all 50 states."
> 
> 
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