Roscoe Bartlett: “with my colleagues Mr. Gallegly and Mr. Blumenauer, I have introduced H.R. 137 to establish felony-level jail time of up…”

“with my colleagues Mr. Gallegly and Mr. Blumenauer, I have introduced H.R. 137 to establish felony-level jail time of up to 3 years for those who violate the law against animal fighting. H.R. 137 would amend current law to toughen the maximum jail time from a one-year misdemeanor. The penalties in the existing federal animal fighting statute are too weak. The upgraded penalty better aligns federal law with state law. Almost all states have established felony-level penalties for illegal animal fighting activities. State laws commonly authorize jail time of 3 to 5 years or more for animal fighting. George Bernard Shaw once stated, ``The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them, that's the essence of inhumanity.'' We should not be indifferent to the reprehensible underground organized crime of animal fighting, which is not only cruel but poses threats to public health and safety. The Humane Society of the U.S. estimates that there are at least 40,000 dogfighters in America. Cockfighting has been tied to the spread of bird flu. Animal fighting spawns a number of other criminal activities, such as illegal gambling and using and selling drugs. Even more disturbing is the conclusion by many experts that acts of cruelty against animals are precursors to violence against humans. The felony-level penalties against animal fighting in H.R. 137 are necessary, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.”