• DVM360_Conference_Charlotte,NC_banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Conference Coverage
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

PACE Act to Strengthen Animal Fighting Prohibitions

December 10, 2017
Kerry Lengyel

While animal fighting is the most widely criminalized form of animal cruelty in the United States, a loophole in the Animal Welfare Act has exempted the bloodsport from regulations in US territories. Now, the PACE Act has been proposed to close this loophole once and for all.

In the United States the 3 most common types of animal fighting are dogfighting, cockfighting, and hog-dog fighting. While animal fighting is criminalized throughout the country, ambiguities in federal law have given animal fighters the ability to continue the practice in US territories.

But newly proposed legislation—the Parity in Animal Cruelty Enforcement (PACE) Act—plans to clarify that US territories are not exempt from the Animal Welfare Act’s provisions against dogfighting and cockfighting.

Representatives Peter Roskam (R-IL), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Rodney Davis (R-IL), Rick Nolan (D-MN), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Kevin Yoder (R-KS), Tony Cardenas (D-CA), and Steve Knight (R-CA) introduced the act.

RELATED:

  • STATE NEWS: California Ballot Initiative Seeks Stricter Farm Animal Welfare Laws
  • Veterinary Immunity and Animal Cruelty Law Passed
Advertisement

Under current legislation in the Animal Welfare Act, it is a federal misdemeanor to be a spectator at any animal fight, but it is a felony to:

  • Sponsor or exhibit an animal in a fighting venture
  • Buy, sell, deliver, possess, train, or transport an animal for fighting purposes
  • Use the US Postal Service or other interstate means to promote animal fighting
  • Buy, sell, deliver, or transport cockfighting implements
  • Bring a minor to an animal fight

“Animal fighting is an atrocious activity that, for many years, has been banned in the United States,” said Roskam. “Today I’m introducing a bill that closes the loophole that, until now, has allowed this despicable practice to continue throughout our U.S. territories.”

The PACE Act would directly impact Puerto Rico, which has become a hub for American cockfighting. In territories such as this, birds are raised to participate in spectacles, outfitted with metal knives and other sharp weapons before fights and treated inhumanely if they survive.

“We shouldn’t have one set of rules against animal cruelty for all 50 states and a different set of rules for U.S. territories,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, which is a strong supporter of the Pace Act.

Besides these horrific acts of animal cruelty, cockfighting has also been linked to the spread of several diseases. It was implicated in the spread of exotic Newcastle disease in a 2002 outbreak as well as bird flu throughout Asia.

By closing this loophole in the Animal Welfare Act, legislators will improve the lives of animals being forced to perform in inhumane spectacles and safeguard poultry suppliers from avian diseases.

“Dogfighting and cockfighting are barbaric practices, more widely criminalized than any other form of animal cruelty in the world, and the prohibitions should apply to every part of the country,” Pacelle said. “The Humane Society of the US is grateful to Rep. Roskam for leading this fight and working to stamp out animal abuse everywhere.”


Advertisement

Latest News

To refer or to not refer

Advice panel for women interested in the veterinary field

AVMA president set to testify before Congress

New Hawaii-based pet CBD brand launches

View More Latest News
Advertisement