John Goodwin, manager of animal fighting issues for The Humane Society of the United States issued the following statement in response to news that the office of W. Walter Wilkins, United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina, indicted 21 people as the result of a 13-month undercover investigation by state and federal authorities:
"We commend the U.S. Attorney's office for investigating this case, bringing these charges and shutting down two cockfighting rings. Local authorities throughout South Carolina have raided many cockfights during recent years, but the anemic penalties in the state law have proven to be no deterrent.
"The federal animal fighting violations carry felony penalties and should serve as a very strong message to those who engage in these cruel and vicious fights. But the federal government cannot be expected to investigate every cockfighting pit in South Carolina. We call on the state legislature to finally enact felony penalties for cockfighting, just as 39 other states have already done."
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Broadcast-quality video and high-resolution cockfighting images are available at video.hsus.org.
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 11 million Americans, or one of every 28. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the Web at humanesociety.org.
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