Dogfighting Legislations Opposed by Iowa Congressman Steve King

Dogfighting in the United States is an illegal activity which has existed in the country since early in the 19th century. This cruel and inhumane “sport” is now considered a very serious crime. Congress passed a law in 2007 making dogfighting a felony under both Federal law and in all 50 states.   Additionally, even if the offender has had no prior convictions, the crime of dogfighting carries lengthy mandatory prison sentences, along with hefty fines.

Fortunately for these innocent dogs who are trained to be aggressive killers, with the help of animal activists and welfare groups, dogfighting has slowly been outlawed around the country. But sadly however, covert dogfighting remains popular in both rural and urban areas.  These bloody battles continue to attract people who get their “kicks” out of watching the combatting canines and who also bet heavily on their favorites in the hopes of winning some easy cash.

But even though the 2012 amendment to the Farm Bill by Representative Jim McGovern, (D- Mass) helped close some of the loopholes in the Federal law by outlawing people from attending dogfights and cock fights, there are those who highly disagree with these rulings and are working hard to get rid of them.

According to a recent announcement by Mike Markarian, the President of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, Congressman Steve King (R-Iowa), is actively campaigning to defeat the McGovern amendment making it a crime to attend or bring children to an animal fight. In response to a question about why he opposes animal rights and the legislations that have been introduced to protect these animals, during a recent telethon hall meeting, King expressed his views and went on record by saying that passing legislation to prohibit children from attending animal fights was wrong.

King then went on to comment that “It's not a federal crime to induce somebody to watch people fighting. There's something wrong with the priorities of people that think like that."

As shocking as it sounds to those of us who love animals and want them protected, Congressman King truly believes that dogfighters and cockfighters should get a "free pass" which would allow them to continue their compassionless activities without penalty. Unbelievably, King is presently on an all-out mission to lead Congress in this direction.

Summing up King’s displeasure with and goal to repeal the laws prohibiting dogfighting, Markarian said, rather paradoxically, “If you believe that the United States should legalize dogfighting because we allow humans to fight, fear not. You’ve got an ally in the United States Congress.”

Hear Congressman Steve King sharing his philosophy on dogfighting in the video uploaded to YouTube by ThinkProgress TP.

What is your reaction to King’s ideas about animal fighting? Share them in a comment.