The Missouri legislature is considering changes to the state's dog fighting laws. One change would make it a Class D felony instead of a misdemeanor on a second and subsequent offense of being present for a dog fight including preparations leading up to it.

It's hard to conceive of anyone stabbing a dog repeatedly with a power drill and then drilling holes in its head.  But that is what Severino Cruz of Connecticut is accused of doing to Baby, his brother's dog.

Cruz claims Baby bit his son. His sons were playing with Baby's puppy which jumped on one of the children. The other child pulled the puppy away, and Baby, trying to protect her baby, bit the boy.

Read the story of Rocky and then write or call the prosecutor listed below and urge prosecution of Armando Preciado. Demand justice for Rocky.

Update April 11, 2008: Your calls and letters are having an effect. The prosecutors may be considering filing felony charges. Keep up the pressure. Here are names and numbers of 2 more Deputy District Attorneys involved.

The Iowa Senate has passed a bill, S.F. 2203 that would increase the penalty for being a spectator at an animal fight from an aggravated misdemeanor to a Class D felony. The bill is now pending in the Iowa House as H.F. 2381.

A class "D" felony means a sentence of up to 5 years and a fine of up to $7,500, assuming no prior convictions. An aggravated misdemeanor carries a penalty of up to two years and a fine not to exceed $6,250.

Update April 14, 2008:  The Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee heard compelling testimony in support of the Animal Fighting bill, H.B. 415.

Annette M. Fisher, Executive Director of Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary described how last year the Lorain County, Ohio's sheriff's department seized 44 roosters and several hens in a  cockfighting raid.

Sometimes persistence pays off in pursuing animal abusers. More than a year ago animal welfare activists and neighbors captured Jack Crosslings McCall of video, beating, choking, kicking and throwing chained dogs in his yard.  

By a vote of 66-1 Minnesota's Senate passed amendments today to the state's dangerous dog laws. These amendments are pending in the state's House of Representatives.

Supporters successfully fended off any amendment to add a breed ban.   

Click here for a copy of the proposed laws.  

The Whitehall, Ohio City Council has been hearing from the public about a proposed pit bull ban. The ban is sponsored by Councilperson Jackie Thompson.

Thompson plans to try to get the proposed ban voted on by a committee at a meeting on April 8 at 6:30 p.m.  The meeting will be held at Whitehall City Hall, 360 S. Yearling Road. 

Last week in Monroe County, Tennessee a dog literally chewed off its back leg to try to escape its tether. A neighbor noticed Panda, a 97 pound pure bred St. Bernard, was tied up and tangled in the cord. The next day the neighbor noticed a serious wound on the dog.

                                       The North Carolina Coalition for Humane Euthanasia (NCCHE) and the Humane Society of Union County (HSUC) have brought a lawsuit in state court against Union County officials including Sheriff Eddie Cathey and Dempsey E. Benton, Secretary of North Carolina Health and Human Services.

March 27, Altoona, PA - What if someone wanted to prove that they could drive to any state and in the space of a few hours easily find, photograph, and videotape a minimum of 10 dogs spending their lives at the end of a chain?

Several Arizona representatives are sponsoring a bill, H.B. 2516, that would mandate spay/neuter for all dogs and cats over 6 months old unless the owner qualifies for and obtains an intact permit. Fees for the intact permit will be set by each county.

The number of instances when an owner can obtain an intact permit almost swallows the law.

A similar bill in Kentucky is pending.  

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter now has on his desk for signature H.B. 1185 which would require dogs and cats adopted from animal shelters or rescues to be spayed/neutered. The bill has passed the state legislature!

  Dallas continues to have high euthanasia rates despite efforts to improve spay/neuter and adoptions including the building of a new shelter facility this past year.

A September 24, 2007 report by Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center Operations reported the city impounded "more than 35,000 this year....Euthanasia rate is high and the adoption rate is low."

Like Illinois, Rhode Island is considering a bill that would ban the transport of horses in double decked trailers.  But the committee considering the bill, the Rhode Island Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture, has decided to hold the bill, S. 2566, for further study.

Like a number of states, for purposes of the animal cruelty laws, Iowa classifies equines as livestock.

In Iowa it is illegal for someone to injure or destroy someone else's livestock intentionally such as by poisoning, shooting or trapping. Iowa Code § 717.1A

Update March 27, 2008: S.B. 2895 has now passed the House Judiciary Committee! It is on to the full House for a vote.

Click here to contact Hawaii representatives to urge their support of this bill.

For more informaiton on this bill, read Animal Law Coalition's earlier report below.

The National Horse Protection League has initiated a petition calling upon American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and AVMA President Gregory Hammer to support the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act pending in Congress.

 Update March 19, 2008: Chief of Staff James Christoferson called Lucille Matte and apologized profusely for the conduct of the staff during her visit to Sen. Hutchison's office on March 5. But the senator still has not signed on as a co-sponsor to this important bill, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. 

The Anti Fur Society is going head to head with the Mexican government in an all out bid to stop horse slaughter in that country. Now that horse slaughter in the U.S. has been shut down, horses are transported on long arduous journeys to Mexican horse slaughterhouses, most notably San Bernabe in the city of Almoloya de Juarez.

Some states have exceptions in animal cruelty laws for animals used by rodeos. The animals are either not protected by the law at all or only if the rodeo does not treat them according to accepted rodeo or husbandry standards, whatever that means.

                                                               Update April 9, 2008: H.B. 4162 which would ban use of double decked trailers to haul horses has passed the Illinois House of Representatives.

Update March 14, 2008: Last night the Randolph, Iowa city council voted to establish a trap neuter return program for feral cats!

The city decided to abandon the mayor's plan of offering $5 bounty for each stray live dog or cat brought to him and which he would then have killed if it was not claimed by an owner.

On March 4-5, 2008, over 100 people gathered at the nation's Capitol to lobby members of Congress to pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, H.R. 503/S.B. 311. 

Tennessee is taking on animal fighting in a big way this legislative session.  There are bills pending that will:

 - allow forfeiture of all property used in animal fighting (S.B. 2685),  

 - make it a felony to allow a minor to attend an animal fight (TN H.B. 3697 & TN S.B. 3864); and

 Update April 18, 2008: After 6 1/2 hours of testimony on April 17, Judge David Motes in the forfeiture hearing "ordered that Jackson County may dispose of 270 dogs from that puppy mill as it desires, according to the law," said Cheryl McAuliffe, Georgia Director for the Humane Society of the United States.

                                            Update April 3, 2008: A hearing was held this past week to determine if there was sufficient evidence for Christopher Lee Barnett to stand trial for severely beating his dog and also filing its teeth till they bled.

                                        A U.S. Senate Appropriations subcommittee held a hearing yesterday on the Hallmark/Westland recall of 143 million pounds of meat. Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) lambasted Secretary of the U.S. Dept.

                                       Update March 5, 2008: Thanks to the efforts of Alley Cat Allies and your letters and calls and signatures on the petition - not to mention a rally in front of City Hall - the city of Cape May, New Jersey has agreed to preserve its long standing feral cat program.

                                       Update May 5, 2008:  Testimony continued this past week on the Ohio puppy mill bill before an Ohio legislative committee. One animal welfare organization, All Tails Are Waggin, presented the committee with 500 letters in support of the bill. More humane agents and animal welfare advocates testified in support of the bill.

After an 11-month investigation into an alleged national dogfighting ring, the Pima County, Arizona Sheriff's Department, the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, the Humane Society of the United States, and other local agencies raided four separate properties, rescuing 150 dogs, generally used for breeding.

"I Left the Mill that night.. yet it has never left me...  and never will.."

                              Nicole Joncas 12/20/2007

by Doc Wheeler and Laura Allen

This one should be a no brainer. 

Bill No. 5656 pending before the Connecticut General Assembly would ban the declawing of cats. The only exception would be for therapeutic reasons, meaning an infection, injury, disease or "abnormal condition" that was jeopardizing the cat's health.  

Last fall the Safeway grocery chain announced it will give preferences to suppliers that are moving away from gestation crates for pigs, an additional 5% of its purchases will come from these suppliers in the first year with 10% in the second year and 15% in year 3.

Update May 5, 2008:  Gertrude Maxwell's dream has come true. Her bill has passed the Florida state legislature, and Governor Charlie Crist is expected to sign it.

 The City of Little Rock, Arkansas has passed BSL. Yes, owners of "pit bulls" must now do the following to keep their dogs:

Update February 27, 2008: The Oregon legislature has passed S.B. 1072! This new law will increase penalties for dog fighting. Governor Ted Kulongoski is expected to sign the bill.

For more information, read the original report below.

  Update February 20, 2008: The Macon, Georgia city council voted last night to ban tethering of dogs and cats.  During a hearing on the issue, the council chamber was filled with animal welfare activists protesting the cruelty of tethering or chaining dogs. 

Until now, Idaho was one of a handful of states where dog fighting was only a misdemeanor. And that law was pretty vague as to what activity associated with dog fighting would be illegal.

You can help protect these animals.

Update: February 25, 2008: Officials at Hallmark/Westland Meat have announced the company is likely to shut down permanently because of financial difficulties following an undercover investigation that revealed cruel treatment of downed cows at its facility in Chino, California.

Update March 13, 2008:  There are rumblings that Macon Animal Control is demanding a $100,000 increase in its budget if the city stops using the gas chamber in favor of lethal injection. The money is demanded for additional staff to administer the lethal injections. One employee who asked not to be identified, said the money was also for additional space, a euthanasia room.