The California State Senate has approved SB 1349 to increase penalties for animal fighting and now the bill moves to the Assembly. This bill, introduced by Senator Nell Soto, would permit felony charges to be brought against a person who is arrested a second or subsequent time for illegal cockfighting. Lawmakers nationwide are taking a serious look at cockfighting, not only because of the cruelty and associated criminal activities, but because of the recent outbreak[s] of avian flu in other areas of the world and the role cockfighting has played in spreading avian disease. Not long after Exotic Newcastle Disease wreaked havoc throughout southern California and the Southwest in late 2002 and early 2003, the California State Veterinarian squarely placed blame on cockfighters for spreading the disease. Nevada, Oregon, and Arizona have all passed felony laws against cockfighting. Surrounded by felony states, California has become a haven for thousands of illegal cockfighters statewide. Please click here to urge the Assembly Committee on Public Safety to support this important bill today. Sincerely, ASPCA Advocacy Center

California: Increase Penalties for Cockfighting

California legislators are currently considering a bill to increase penalties for cockfighting (S.B. 1349). Introduced by Senator Nell Soto, S.B. 1349 makes a second or subsequent act of illegal cockfighting a "wobbler," which can be charged as a felony or a misdemeanor.

S.B. 1349 passed the state Senate on May 30 and the Assembly Committee on Public Safety on June 20. It will soon be heard in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations. Please take action today to keep the momentum going for this important bill.

TAKE ACTION:
Please call your state assemblymember and urge him or her to support S.B. 1349 to increase the penalty for cockfighting. Click here to look up your state assemblymember and his or her phone number.
(After you type in your zip code or address, click the link for "State" on the right side of the screen.)

After you make your call, fill in the form here to automatically send an email to your state assemblymember and the members of the Assembly Committee on Appropriations. Remember to personalize the email message by expressing your opinion in your own words; it's much more effective.