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UPDATE: 7/9/09 10pm - Nebraska and Mississippi, have been added to the network of dog fighting rings taken down in this sweep. (source: HSUS revision)
The ASPCA and HSUS organizations worked with Federal, State and local authorities to simultaneously raid an organized network of dog fighting rings operating across 6 States, making this the largest orchestrated dog fighting bust in US history.
HSUS took the lead in Eastern Texas and Oklahoma, and assisted the Humane society in Missouri and Southern Illinois in both the more than year-long investigation preceding the raids, and in the disposition of the dogs involved in the aftermath. Iowa and Arkansas were also part of the target group according to HSUS. The ASPCA has been involved, along with United Animal Nations, and PetSmart Charities working together in all rescue and sheltering efforts.
It took more than a month to set up the logistics alone, transporting emergency kennels for hundreds of dogs to be available in each State: “Dozens of HSUS experts and volunteers have gathered to provide animal handling, transport, sheltering and documentation assistance. Many of the dogs rescued from these dogfighting operations will be taken to the emergency shelter in specially designed animal transport vehicles provided by The HSUS.
While they are being cared for, each dog will be evaluated by animal behavior experts from the Humane Society of Missouri and other organizations to determine their suitability for possible placement with rescue groups or individual adopters” according to HSUS press release.
As many as 30 people were arrested, nine of which came from Texas, according Dallas News who have been indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, sponsoring or exhibiting an animal in an animal fighting venture and buying, selling, delivering or transporting animals for participation in an animal fighting venture. The defendants each face up to five years in federal prison and fines of up to $250,000 if convicted. The judge may also direct them to pay the costs of sheltering the 300 plus dogs seized in the raids.
The unprecedented scope of this dog fighting bust operation involved many government agencies, including the USDA, the US Marshal Service, the State Highway Patrol, FBI, and the US Attorney. This made for a highly complex communication and logistics plan that delivered the required result. All government agencies working in concert with animal welfare organizations to continue the work of breaking the back of blood sports in the US was, I am sure, something to behold.
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5 years for each dog- should be the penalty not 5 years total!
u r absolutely right. i bet dog fighting would drop by 100%
you people really want to ruin people's entire lives over a dog fighting another dog? child molesters aren't looked on as badly by these AR zealots. soon all hunting and raising of animals for any purpose will be illegal. this is just the first step, an easy one with all the emotionally charged rhetoric no less.
there's a lot in life that involves blood, sweat and/or tears, for humans and animals, not the least of which is your dinner table.
hypocrites.
I don't know how you could come to the conclusion that it is alright to fight dogs. It is a disgusting, reprehensible thing to do to an animal who looks to humans to provide them with a safe and loving home–to an animal who would protect you to the death. Who else would do that? Maybe a family member…maybe. Pets are part of the family, and part of the least among us (in that they are cannot help themselves). How we treat them reflects our own humanity–or lack thereof.
You are in the wrong place if you think the people who do this should be allowed to do it to put food on the table, or, God forbid, just for a Saturday night's gambling gathering. Cruelty is inexcusable in any form, period.
To petlover continued:
Instead of repeating the haters credo railing against animal rights, think about what you just promoted. Animals(that includes humans), do not deserve to be tortured. How else would you describe having half your face torn away, your stomach ripped open, then being tossed into a shallow grave to die with the other "losers"? It is not "emotional rhetoric" as you state. It's just a fact. And yes, these people chose to commit this despicable act, a felony, and deserve, richly, to have their freedoms taken away for that. Pets matter…they are sentient beings, not inanimate objects to be kicked around and abused.
And to your parting comment, HSUS is also working, with, I believe, the ASPCA, an animal welfare group, to stop the suffering of animals at slaughter houses. Vegetarianism has become more popular over the years because of the way animals raised for our plates are treated. There's no hypocracy here.