2007 Kerry-Boxer Amendment to Animal Welfare Act

2007 Kerry-Boxer Amendment to Animal Welfare Act

Support the bill to eliminate dogfighting
Make a difference today.
Support the Kerry-Boxer Bill to Eliminate Dogfighting!
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) have introduced an amendment to the Animal Welfare Act that will help put an end to the inhumane practice of dogfighting. Contact your senators and ask them to support the Kerry-Boxer bill!
In the wake of the indictment of professional football player Michael Vick on dogfighting-related charges, Sens. Kerry and Boxer have introduced legislation to eliminate dogfighting by increasing the penalties for those involved with all aspects of this heinous blood sport. This new legislation also would have a profound impact on federal prosecutors’ and agents’ ability to prosecute and justly punish those found guilty of dogfighting activities.
The Kerry-Boxer bill removes the existing requirement that a dog must have crossed state lines in order for federal prosecutors and agents to take action against dogfighters. Currently, if a dog is bred and raised to fight in the same state, the federal government cannot prosecute the crime.
Additionally, the Kerry-Boxer bill makes it a federal offense to be a spectator at a dogfight. Spectators pay admission and wager on the fights. No longer would those attending matches be able to claim innocence simply because they did not have a dog in a fight. With stiffer penalties in place to deter spectators and betting, those who breed and train dogs to fight would likely lose a significant portion of their audience.
The Kerry-Boxer bill also punishes those who make money by buying, selling, transporting or training dogs to fight. Dogs that are trained to fight and have a history of killing other dogs are sold to the highest bidder to be used in other fights. Some people purposely breed and sell dogs specifically for use in dogfighting. This legislation would hold those trafficking in fighting dogs accountable for their crimes.
Lastly, the Kerry-Boxer bill will increase the maximum penalty for dogfighting from a three-year prison sentence to a five-year prison sentence.
This bill is necessary to adequately punish those who not only operate and engage in, but also attend and otherwise support, this barbaric blood sport. Please contact your senators today to co-sponsor and support this important legislation.
The American Humane Association strongly supports the Kerry-Boxer bill. Tell your senators to lend their voices to the long-overdue eradication of dogfighting!