Bob Menendez: “Today the Nation closed the book on a heinous story that brought the criminal act of dogfighting into the national…”

“Today the Nation closed the book on a heinous story that brought the criminal act of dogfighting into the national spotlight. Michael Vick received 23 months in jail for his actions, but that is not the end of the story. Nor is it the end of the nation's attack on dogfighting. Dogfighting is reprehensible in its own right. There is no justification for the intentional mauling and destruction of a living animal. But it is a precursor of so much more. That is why we must continue to fight these crimes. Dogfighting isn't just about cruelty to animals. Dogfights are one becoming an increasingly profitable enterprise for violent gangs. These criminals can bring in as much as $25,000 by selling a champion dog on the black market, and they can take a cut from bets that can run in excess of $100,000 for a single fight. Stopping animal cruelty means cutting off the flow of money that these criminals use to intimidate and terrorize their communities. Studies show that animal cruelty is a steppingstone to violent crimes against humanity. When the FBI profiles serial killers, they try to find out if they have a history of animal abuse. If someone's been prosecuted for animal cruelty, they are four times more likely to commit a violent crime. The Chicago Police Department found that almost 6 out of every 10 people arrested for crimes against animals turned out to be members of gangs.”