Dog Fighting Made a Felony in West Virginia

by Sherry Morse and Patricia Collier

West Virginia Governor Bob Wise recently signed into law a bill that makes conducting a dog fight a felony and attending such an event a misdemeanor.

Under the new law, individuals convicted of holding a dog fight are subject to imprisonment for between one and five years and being ordered to pay a fine of $1,000 to $5,000. In addition, persons convicted of being present at a dog fight are subject to imprisonment for as many as 12 months and being ordered to pay a fine of $100 to $1,000.

"Governor Wise is to be commended for giving West Virginia law enforcement another tool to combat dog fighting," said Humane Society of the United States Senior Vice President Wayne Pacelle. "West Virginia will no longer be an attractive destination for dog fighters to conduct this barbaric criminal activity."

Many dog fighters chose the state because it was one of only four in the United States in which dog fighting was not a felony.

The first draft of the legislation also addressed cockfighting, but the provisions regarding it were removed.

"There is no moral or practical rationale for treating dog fighting and cockfighting any differently," said Humane Society of the United States Great Lakes Regional Office Director Sandy Rowland. "The new felony law goes a long way to protect dogs and other animals, but West Virginia still needs to address the problem of cockfighting."

© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.