After Vick Case, Dogfighting Bills Flood Va. Session

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Remnants of Dogfighting Litter Michael Vick's Property

As prospective buyers and an interested public toured the property of former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick in Surry County, Va., they couldn't avoid lingering remnants of his illegal Bad Newz Kennels dogfighting operation that led to his 23-month prison sentence.

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Dogfighting is illegal in all 50 states, and transporting dogs from one state to another for fighting is banned by federal law. In Virginia, Maryland and the District, dogfighting and possession of dogs for fighting is a felony; watching is a misdemeanor.

A Maryland legislator has introduced a bill that would make it a felony to attend a dogfight or cockfight.

The Humane Society estimates that 25 state legislatures will consider strengthening animal-fighting laws this year, although more proposals are being introduced in Virginia than elsewhere.

"This year we are seeing the strongest push [ever] to enact animal fighting legislation," said John Goodwin, manager of animal fighting issues for the Humane Society. "Michael Vick really put a spotlight on animal fighting in the Commonwealth."

The Humane Society estimates that 40,000 people nationwide are involved in organized dogfighting and an additional 100,000 are involved at the street level. In total, they fight more than 250,000 dogs each year.

Virginia and Maryland have dogfighting, Goodwin said, and Virginia also has at least 30 cockfighting rings, mostly along the North Carolina border. Maryland is known for raising roosters for fighting.

Arrest statistics for individual states are not available, but the Humane Society has counted 150 cases in the past two years, including eight in Virginia, two in Maryland and one in the District.

"The public is more aware of animal fighting," said Richard Samuels, president of the Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force and an animal control officer in Spotsylvania County. "They just figured it happened in other states and not in Virginia."

In Virginia, bills have been introduced that would include animal fighting under the state racketeering law, which would lead to longer prison sentences and seizure of assets; make all forms of animal fighting a felony; increase penalties for spectators and those who bring children to watch; and allow more searches at places where fighting is believed to be occurring.

"Dogfighting is a practice that has got to be outlawed," said House Minority Leader Ward L. Armstrong (D-Henry). "I didn't know it was happening. It was news to me. . . . But people will do anything for entertainment."

A coalition of groups -- including the Virginia Animal Control Association, the Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force, the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies, the Richmond SPCA and the Virginia Anti-Dogfighting Coalition -- is lobbying for changes.

Not all animal protection bills this year relate to fighting, however. A slew of other bills have been filed, including ones that would ban the use of gas chambers to euthanize pets, raise penalties for tethering animals, limit the number of puppies bred and sold each year and increase training for animal control officers.

Bob Kane, president of the Virginia Hunting Dog Owners' Association, said he has no concern with the dogfighting bills but worries about the sheer number of proposals, including one that regulates breeders, which he called "overkill."

"It's been creeping up,'' he said. "This year, it's a quantum jump."