The latest issue of HumaneLines, an electronic newsletter published by the Humane Society of the United States, deals with a couple of new bills introduced in the United States Congress. S382 and HR817, both known as the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act, seeks to address the issue of animal fighting.

However, animal fighting is already illegal in each of the 50 states. In fact, animal cruelty already covers animal fighting, because forcing animals to fight is in fact a form of cruelty.

HumaneLines begins with:

Animal fighting, although illegal in virtually every state, is still prevalent throughout the country, fueled in part by a subculture naively fascinated with the illicit and thuggish nature of dogfighting. As the 109th Congress gets underway, we are determined to get the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act enacted, and we need your help more than ever.

The HSUS tried to get this Act passed in the last Congress, but failed. This Act addresses dog fighting by authorizing jail time for persons who transport dogs used for fighting. So basically, the guy hired to drive the truck carrying the dogs will now go to jail too.

I'm against this legislation, and here's why:

1. Laws are useless unless enforceable. We already have laws in the states against dog fighting and animal cruelty, what more will federal legislation do? The reason why dog fighting continues on, is because our law enforcement departments don't have enough resources to go after fighting rings.



2. This legislation does nothing to address the lack of resources our law enforcement officers face. This legislation only has teeth where dog fight organizers get convicted. How are we supposed to convict these guys if we don't have the resources to catch them in the first place?



3. Any matter regarding personal property is a state issue. Like it or not, dogs are property. The federal government has no business involving itself with matters of property. Let the states address this.

Before we enact any new laws, how about enforcing the laws we already have? We won't need federal legislation if our law enforcement officers have the resources they need to apprehend the bad guys.