Gamefowl News

Subject: FLORIDA SB 2350 & HB 1911

Reference: Sat 03 May 2003

TO ALL MY FELLOW SPORTSMEN,

HEAR IS THE UPDATED VERSION I HAVE MAILED TO OUR GOVERNOR. PLEASE POST THIS ON THE NEWS SO THAT ANYONE WANTING TO USE IT OR IT'S FORMAT TO REACH OUR GOVERNOR OR ANYONE ELSE IS WELCOME TO DO SO. ALL I ASK IS TO REMOVE MY NAME FROM THE BOTTOM IF YOU MAKE CHANGES OR SIMPLY ADD YOUR NAME
IF YOU LEAVE IT THE SAME. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SEND THE GOVERNOR AN UPDATED LETTER SIGNED BY AS MANY OF US AS IS POSSIBLE. I HAVE MADE A FEW CHANGES FROM MY ORIGINAL LETTER AND BRING UP A FEW LEGITIMATE POINTS WHICH MAY BE OF USE TO ANYONE WILLING TO FIGHT FOR HIS RIGHT TO RAISE AND KEEP GAMEFOWL. BE STRONG MY FRIENDS AND LET'S STICK TOGETHER. WE ARE MUCH LOUDER AND STRONGER TOGETHER.

I AM ALSO GOING TO CONTACT THOSE THAT GAVE THEIR NUMBERS SO THAT I CAN DO MY PART.

TRULY,

JOSEPH P. CONTE

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DEAR GOVERNOR BUSH,

DEAR SIR, THANK YOU FOR RECEIVING THIS EMAIL AND I ONLY HOPE YOU CAN VIEW THIS SUBJECT THROUGH MY EYES FOR A MOMENT. I AM A LOYAL AMERICAN, WHO PAYS HIS TAXES, SUPPORTS HIS FAMILY AND IS ALSO AND AVID OUTDOORSMAN. IT IS OF GREAT CONCERN TO ME THAT SOMEONE WITH A POSITION IN OUR GOVERNMENT, SUCH AS YOURSELF, REALIZES THAT MY CIVIL RIGHTS WHICH ALLOW ME TO PRACTICE THE ART FORMS OF MY HERITAGE WILL BE VIOLATED BY THE PASSING OF THESE AMENDMENTS.

AS AN AVID OUTDOORSMAN AND LIFELONG BREEDER OF GAME FOWL, TO BE REFUSED THE RIGHT TO RAISE AND BREED GAME FOWL FOR PURPOSES OTHER THAN TO FIGHT THEM OR TO USE MY DOGS TO HUNT WILD BOAR IS SIMPLY UNJUST. TO BE MADE INTO A CRIMINAL BECAUSE ANOTHER HUMAN BEING DOES NOT AGREE WITH A SPORT WHICH MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER, GRANDFATHER, FATHER AND CHILDREN LOVE AND HAVE PARTICIPATED IN IS EVEN MORE UNJUST. TO CALL THESE SPORTS BARBARIC IS TO INSULT MY FAMILY, RACE AND HERITAGE.

I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE UNDERSTOOD THAT MY PASSION FOR THESE SPORTS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MONEY ANYMORE THAN A GARDEN OF BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS HAS TO A PERSON WHO'S HOBBY IS GARDENING. THE TIME SPENT WITH THESE ANIMALS IS, HOWEVER, INVALUABLE TO ME AND PROVIDES TRANQUILLITY AND PLEASURE AFTER A HARD DAY AT WORK AS WELL AS AN OUTLET FOR ME TO PARTICIPATE IN SOMETHING WITH MY CHILD. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WITNESSING THE BLOODY BATTLES WHICH SOMETIMES OCCUR DURING THE PRACTICE OF THESE SPORTS ANY MORE THAN A BOXING TRAINER LIKES TO SEE A BLOODY BATTLE BETWEEN HIS BOXER AND HIS OPPONENT. MY ROOSTERS BEING SO BEAUTIFUL AND VALIANT AND MY DOGS SO LOVING AND HARDWORKING, NO ONE COULD ENJOY THEIR INJURY. I DO NOT KNOW THE AMOUNT OF OR THE VALIDITY OF THE INFORMATION YOU
HAVE RECEIVED ABOUT THESE TWO SPORTS, BUT I CAN ONLY DEDUCT FROM THE FACT THAT HONEST HARDWORKING MEN ARE TO BE TURNED INTO CRIMINALS ONCE IT IS PASSED, THAT THE INFORMATION IS AT THE BEST PARTIALLY TRUE, AND PUT FORTH BY THOSE WHO OPPOSE EACH OF THESE SPORTS IN THEIR ENTIRETIES. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THE TRIMMING OF FEATHERS IS AN ART AS IS THE DUBBING OF COMBS ( BOTH OF WHICH WOULD NOW BECOME ILLEGAL ) ARE PRACTICED AT ALL POULTRY SHOWS IN STATES WHERE COCKFIGHTING HAS LONG BEEN ILLEGAL AND ARE BENEFICIAL TO THE BIRDS, BOTH FOR THEIR HEALTH AND COMFORT. THE EXERCISING OF AN ANIMAL IS IN NO WAY HARMFUL TO THAT ANIMAL AND WOULD NOW BECOME ILLEGAL BECAUSE IT WOULD SHOW AN INTENT TO FIGHT THE ANIMAL. THERE CAN BE NO PROOF TO SUBSTANTIATE THE BECOMING ILLEGAL OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED PRACTICES BECAUSE OF ANY DANGER POSED TO THE ANIMALS. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT UPON THE PASSING OF THIS AMENDMENT INTO LAW MY ROOSTERS WOULD BE CONFISCATED AND IMMEDIATELY DESTROYED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS AS IS PROVIDED BY THIS AMENDMENT. THERE IS NO QUESTION AS TO WHICH CHOICE THE ANIMALS INVOLVED WOULD MAKE; THE CHANCE FOR SURVIVAL OR INSTANT DEATH. PERSONS BEHIND THE PROHIBITION OF THESE SPORTS CLAIM TO STAND FOR THE
RIGHTS OF THE ANIMALS IN QUESTION. HOWEVER, THEY DO NOT, FOR ANY SPECIES WOULD FIGHT TO CONTINUE THEIR LINEAGE. I TRULY STAND FOR THE RIGHTS OF THE ANIMALS INVOLVED IN THESE SPORTS.

I HAVE YOUNG FAMILY MEMBERS ATTENDING COLLEGE AND LIFELONG FRIENDS THAT PARTICIPATE IN THESE SPORTS IN STATES WHERE IT IS LEGAL. THESE ARE GOOD, HARDWORKING PEOPLE THAT ARE ENGAGED IN A SPORT THAT WILL NEVER BE ACCEPTED BY EVERY CITIZEN IN AMERICA. HOWEVER, THE RIGHTS OF ALL CITIZENS OF THIS REPUBLIC ARE EQUAL, IF I MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES IS CORRECT. A FACT THAT SHOULD WEIGH HEAVY UPON YOUR HEART AND MIND AS THIS BILL GOES FORTH OR IS REJECTED. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT I LOVE ANIMALS IN GENERAL AND WILL DO ANYTHING TO PROTECT THEIR
RIGHTS FROM BEING TORTURED. THE ANIMALS IN QUESTION NATURALLY FIGHT IN THE WILD OR IN CAPTIVITY AND ARE ONLY AFFORDED THE BEST POSSIBLE CHANCE OF SURVIVAL BY THEIR OWNERS. I DO NOT WISH TO FIGHT ANY OF MY GAME FOWL, BUT THE NEW ANIMAL FIGHTING AMENDMENT WOULD MAKE IT ILLEGAL FOR ME TO RAISE AND PRACTICE MY HOBBY, PART OF WHICH IS THE TRIMMING AND EXERCISING OF MY BIRDS AND THE TRAINING OF MY DOGS IN SIMULATED SITUATIONS SO THAT THEY CAN LEARN TO AVOID SERIOUS INJURY. IT WOULD ALSO MAKE IT A FELONY FOR ME TO ATTEND A COCKFIGHT THOUGH I WOULD NOT BE PARTICIPANT OR TO HUNT WILD BOAR WITH MY DOGS CAUSING ME TO FACE POSSIBLE IMPRISONMENT. IT IS A GREAT INSULT TO JUSTICE AND AMERICA ITSELF TO SEPARATE A MAN FROM HIS FAMILY AND MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO FOR HIM TO PROVIDE FOR THEM OVER WHAT IS AN INFRINGEMENT OF HIS RIGHT TO PRACTICE AN ART FORM WHICH IS NOT ONLY PART OF HIS HERITAGE BUT IS ALSO BENEFICIAL TO THE ANIMALS.

I HOPE THAT I AM NOT FORCED TO LEAVE MY HOME AND POSSIBLY SOMEDAY THE COUNTRY WHICH I LOVE AND WOULD DEFEND WITH MY LIFE BECAUSE THE IDEALS OF SOME HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO OVERPOWER THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS. BECAUSE I DO NOT YELL AS LOUD AS THE NEXT MAN DOES NOT MEAN I DO NOT HAVE A VOICE. IS THAT NOT WHAT AMERICA IS ALL ABOUT? PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF ALL IT'S CITIZENS. I WOULD NOT INFRINGE ON YOUR RIGHTS TO LIVE HAPPILY AND TO PRACTICE A HOBBY PASSED DOWN THROUGH YOUR HERITAGE UNLESS IT DIRECTLY INVOLVED THE INFRINGEMENT ON ANOTHER'S RIGHTS. IF YOUR RIGHTS WERE BEING VIOLATED I WOULD STAND BY YOUR SIDE AND FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS AS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN. I WOULD EXPECT THE SAME FROM ANY AMERICAN AND ESPECIALLY FROM YOU SIR. THANK YOU SIR FOR LENDING AN EAR TO MY CAUSE AND I ONLY HOPE THAT YOU GET A CHANCE TO READ MY MESSAGE OF FREEDOM.

TRULY,

JOSEPH P. CONTE

...........breeding and training, wagering or simply attending a fight -- a felony.............

New animal fighting penalties give law real bite

By MATT GRIMISON
Staff Writer

Last update: 07 May 2003

TALLAHASSEE -- Stronger penalties for animal fighting and baiting should pack a punch in shutting down the bloody underground industry, animal advocates say.

The state Legislature recently passed a proposal making almost any activity surrounding dogfighting and cockfighting -- breeding and training, wagering or simply attending a fight -- a felony.

The change would give law enforcement officers a huge advantage over current laws that often hamper investigations and prosecutions of the secretive crime, officials said.

"Making these things a felony is definitely going to help us in investigating -- and hopefully deterring -- fights in the future," Daytona Beach Police spokesman Al Tolley said.

The bill (HB 1911) was one of more than 200 passed during the hectic final days of the legislative session, which ended Friday.

The bill now goes before Gov. Jeb Bush for his consideration. A spokeswoman said this week he had not yet reviewed the bill.

Volusia County animal advocates said the changes would help stem a stubborn dogfighting problem in Volusia and Flagler counties.

In November, Daytona Beach police arrested four men after stumbling upon a brutal training session in which pit bull terriers, kicked to increase their agitation, were being baited with a live raccoon to teach fighting skills.

Earlier last year, Flagler County Sheriff's investigators linked pit bull puppy thefts to a dogfighting ring and in 2001, DeLand police arrested two men after discovering an organized dogfight.

Information on Volusia's problem was included in a legislative staff analysis of the bill, quoting a Daytona Beach officer who said reports of dogfights come as often as once a week.

Diane Voigt, a local animal welfare advocate who tracked the bill closely, said it would change the dogfighting atmosphere that now gives criminals all the advantages.

"Right now, people are walking around very smugly," Voigt said. "This is going to be a huge tool for law enforcement in stopping this horrific practice."

The bill includes a long list of activities associated with fighting that would become felonies, including baiting, breeding, training, transporting and selling animals.

In addition, possessing fighting equipment would be a felony as well as promoting, placing bets on or attending fights.

Most of those activities are misdemeanors under current law, while others were not illegal.

Tolley said making all these crimes felonies allows greater leeway in investigations. Misdemeanors usually require an officer to actually witness the crime, but felony inquiries can rely on witness information and other indirect information.

The bill drew some opposition since Florida is home to a number of operations that raise gamecocks for export to the two states where cockfighting is still legal -- New Mexico and Louisiana -- or foreign countries.

Those businesses would become illegal.

Ironically, one well-known gamecock breeder is professional boxer Roy Jones Jr., who lives in Pensacola. The Legislature honored Jones earlier this year for his accomplishments in the boxing ring.

matt.grimison@news-jrnl.com

This HSUS Broadcast Was Forwarded To Us By A Very Concerned American With These Questions.......

Is This An Attack Upon The Safety Of Our Society And Those Officials Attempting To Protect Society From An Agenda With Tax Free Funds Under The Guise Of......

“transports or confines an animal in a cruel manner” ?

What Is The Cost To Tax Payers When Non-Profits Use Tax Free Funds In Attempts To Increase The Workload Of The Judicial System?

Are These Attempts To Clog The Judicial System, Or Attempts At Media Sensationalism For The Furthering Of A Political Agenda, Or What?

Is This Effort Upon The Behalf Of An Agenda To Have Citizens...........

........Contact the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s office and insist that they prosecute this case under Texas penal code 42.09........

Really A Conspiracy Against The Rights Of An Individual?

The Federal Statute Title 18, U.S.C., Section 241 States...........
Conspiracy Against Rights - This statute makes it unlawful for two or more persons to conspire to
injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person of any state, territory or district in the free exercise
or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him/her by the Constitution or the laws of the United
States, (or because of his/her having exercised the same)..............

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----- Original Message -----

From: HUMANElines action

To: HUMANElines -- The Weekly Activist Newsletter

Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2003 11:27 AM

Subject: [hsus-action] HUMANElines-Issue #246



Issue 246 --- May 8, 2003 A Project of The Humane Society of the United States and The Fund for Animals http://www.humanelines.org/
SEND IN YOUR COMMENTS FOR THE CORMORANTS: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) wants to more than quadruple the number of cormorants that could be legally killed to accommodate fish farm operators and sport and commercial anglers, raising it from 45,000 to 200,000 per year. Fish farmers have been killing the birds for years because they claim it is necessary to protect their fish stocks, despite scientific evidence indicating that cormorants have very minor, if any, impacts on fish populations. The new, expanded cormorant killing plan will allow fishery operators to kill the birds--via shooting, cervical dislocation (neck breaking), gassing, and destroying their eggs and nests—not just at the fish farms, but also at their winter roosts, which may be miles from any fish farms. *WHAT YOU CAN DO:* Send your comments on the proposed rule by Friday, May 16th. Let the FWS know that you oppose expanded lethal control for cormorants at fish farms and winter roosts, as well as the new “public resource depredation order.” Remind them that cormorant predation on wild fish is a natural phenomenon and generally does not affect the catch of favored sport and commercial fish species. Be sure to mention the many non-lethal methods that fish farmers can use to protect their stocks from cormorants, including various frightening devices and bird-proof netting. Division of Migratory Bird Management U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 4401 North Fairfax Drive Mail Stop MBSP-4107 Arlington, VA 22203 Fax: 703-358-2272 Email: cormorants@fws.gov Click for cormorants! Go to http://action.fund.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=5013 and automatically comment individually on the regulations. To read the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) upon which the USFWS’ plan is based, call the FWS at 703-358-1714, or visit: http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/issues/cormorant/deis/deis.html. You can also read more about the cormorant situation at http://www.hsus.org/ace/18908. CALL FOR CRUELTY CHARGES IN MISTREATMENT OF TEXAS ALLIGATOR: The Houston SPCA Animal Cruelty Division is reviewing an animal cruelty case in which a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) game warden reportedly tied a nine-foot alligator to his truck, dragged him through the street, and shot him to death in front of shocked citizens, including neighborhood children. The alligator was initially found lying in the middle of the street, injured, possibly after being struck by a car. One resident caught the April 24 incident on videotape and distributed it to news media outlets, leading to a public outcry and a demand for answers. In an April 30 press release, the TPWD stands by the warden’s alleged actions, although it does concede that it will consider new recommendations on how to handle alligators. However, according to Texas law, the warden’s alleged actions were anything but acceptable. Texas penal code 42.09 stipulates that anyone who “transports or confines an animal in a cruel manner” is guilty of animal cruelty, punishable by up to two years in jail. Moreover, if the warden felt the alligator was too large to relocate on his own, he should have called for back up and assistance in securing and transporting the alligator inside the truck, so that he did not have to be cruelly dragged over pavement and shot to death. WHAT YOU CAN DO: Contact the Fort Bend County Attorney’s office and insist that they prosecute this case under Texas penal code 42.09. Fort Bend County Attorney Ben Childers 301 Jackson St Ste 728 Richmond, TX 77469 Fort Bend County Phone: 281-341-4555 Fax: 281-341-4557 TEDDY BEAR CAMPAIGN URGES NJ GOVERNOR TO STOP BEAR HUNT : Activists seeking to stop New Jersey’s first planned bear hunt in thirty-three years are appealing to Governor McGreevey’s “soft side” by delivering a brigade of plush teddy bears to his office. The first teddy bear was delivered to Governor McGreevey’s office on April 28, compliments of The HSUS. We hope that New Jersey residents will follow suit by sending in 500 more bears, one for each bear that will be killed in this December’s bear hunt. *WHAT YOU CAN DO:* Be part of the teddy bear campaign! Buy any new, plush toy bear, and mail it with an attached tag reading, “STOP THE BEAR HUNT,” along with your name and town, to: Governor James McGreevey The State House P.O. Box 001 Trenton, NJ 08625 Don’t forget to attend the only public hearing on the bear hunt on May 22 at the State Museum in Trenton. For confirmation and times, call The HSUS Mid-Atlantic Regional office at 973-927-5611. FLORIDA ANIMAL FIGHTING BILL NEEDS GOVERNOR'S APPROVAL: Good news for animals in Florida: on Friday, May 2, the Florida legislature passed HB 1911, to make it a felony to be a spectator at any organized animal fighting event or to possess or breed an animal for fighting. HB 1911 would also ban the possession of weapons used in cockfights. The last step for HB 1911 to become law is the Governor’s signature. . . please contact him today and ask him to sign HB 1911 into law as soon as possible! Governor Jeb Bush Phone: 850-488-7146 Fax: 850-487-0801 email: jeb.bush@myflorida.com UPDATE: TURKEY KILLERS SENTENCED Kyle and Kevin Sloan, the Ames, Iowa brothers who beat to death nearly 100 turkeys at a farm in November 2002 (see: www.hsus.org/ace/15899), have been sentenced for several crimes, including livestock abuse. On Monday, April 28, Judge Michael Moon sentenced Kyle Sloan in Story County District Court to a twenty-year suspended prison term, five years probation and mandatory completion of a six-month military-style boot camp. He also must graduate from high school. One week earlier, brother Kevin Sloan was sentenced to five years probation for his role in the crime spree. THANK YOU FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR ANIMALS --- TODAY!! To receive directly, call 202-955-3668 or email humanelines@hsus.org For more information on legislation, how to find your legislators, or past HUMANElines, go to http://www.hsus.org/ or http://www.fund.org/

----- Original Message -----

From: HUMANElines

To: HUMANElines -- The Weekly Activist Newsletter

Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2003 12:29 PM

Subject: [hsus-action] HUMANElines Issue #246 -- CORRECTION



Issue 246 --- May 8, 2003 --- CORRECTION A Project of The Humane Society of the United States and The Fund for Animals http://www.humanelines.org/
CORRECTION: In HUMANElines Issue 246, we inadvertently gave the incorrect contact information for the prosecuting attorney in the Texas alligator cruelty case. The correct contact information for the Fort Bend County District Attorney (not the Fort Bend County Attorney) is: John Healey Fort Bend County District Attorney 309 S. 4th St. , Suite 258 Richmond, TX 77469 Phone: 281-341-4460 Fax 281-341-4440 We apologize for the inconvenience. THANK YOU FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR ANIMALS --- TODAY!! To receive directly, call 202-955-3668 or email humanelines@hsus.org For more information on legislation, how to find your legislators, or past HUMANElines, go to http://www.hsus.org/ or http://www.fund.org/

IS IT TRUE A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS?

AR Slanted To Promote An AR Political Agenda?

...........peck and claw each other until one dies...........

.........it is important to stop because it's sometimes connected with other crimes like illegal guns and drugs...........

Mike Rush reports
Cockfighting

(MOBILE, Ala.) May 8 - Described as a senseless blood-sport by some and a harmless hobby by others, cockfighting is illegal in Alabama, but still all around.

Tom Lawshe lives about eight miles north of Schillinger Road's commerce corridor lives. He is proud of his product. For a handful of decades, Lawshe has raised and sold fighting roosters.

Cockfighting is an age-old activity where roosters peck and claw each other until one dies, gives up or can no longer stand. Razor sharp gaffs tied to their legs speed up the battles. People sometimes bet thousands of dollars on the fights. The looser in many cases are tossed out with the trash.

"The best people in the world is chicken fighters," crowed Lawshe. In his heyday Lawshe sold his game cocks all over the world, but he claims his most famous customer is heavy weight boxing champ Roy Jones, Jr. who is vocal about his love for cockfighting.

Jones raises roosters on his Pensacola property and told NBC 15 News he fights them in Louisiana where it is legal.

In Mobile County -- where cockfighting is not legal -- NBC 15 News found rooster farms in Wilmer and Citronelle where sources estimate at least a quarter of the community is involved. There's apparently such an interest in our area that Lawshe and others formed "The Port City Game Club," a group that organizes local fights. They take place in an air-conditioned arena although Lawshe won't say where.

You will not find Jim O'Connor at a fight. When he was a child in Mobile, cockfighters paid him to take care of their roosters. "The worst thing in the world to see is a chicken that's been blinded and he can't see and he's out there trying to defend himself and somebody's letting him go to be killed," O'Connor recalls.

On the other side of the issue, there are those who say they have every right to fight roosters. In fact, by doing so they believe they may actually be prolonging their lives. One Citronelle woman, who doesn't want to be identified, says she and her husband raise, sell and fight cocks. She says it is a good life for the roosters. They are fed well, sheltered and kept separated.

Cockfighting is a misdemeanor in Alabama. Elizabeth Flott with Mobile's SPCA believes it is important to stop because it's sometimes connected with other crimes like illegal guns and drugs. But she says authorities believe efforts to find and break up the underground gatherings are often not worth the outcome.

Flott explained, "When you get sucked in to trying to stop chicken fights, you're spinning your wheels, and you're, you're, you're basically wasting your time on somebody who's going to get a slap on the wrist possibly a $50 fine and they're gonna get the birds back."

The slap on the wrist is why pens persist as part of Mobile County's landscape, and why Tom Lawshe -- at age 79 and slowed by a stroke -- proudly does his part to keep the deadly fights alive.

Lawshe, "I like it, and it's my business, what I do. If it's against the law, I'll pay off. If you get caught speeding you pay off don't you?"

The Mobile County Sheriff's Office says it has spent considerable time working cockfighting cases in the past but has not gotten tips in about a year. Felony charges come first, but investigators say they do respond to tips as much as their resources allow.

Although cockfighting is against the law in Alabama. It is not illegal to spectate. Cockfighting is still legal in Louisiana, Oklahoma and parts of New Mexico, but a federal law that takes effect next week outlaws the transport of birds along with animals across state lines for the purpose of fighting.

Source: http://www.wpmi.com/Global/story.asp?S=1270097&nav=3w5MFi5N

From The Irish Times..........

.........By nature the birds attack each other using their feet and adding the spurs results in a blood sport........

Cockfight case collapses despite swoop by a Garda high flyer
Elaine Keogh

One bird too many arrived at a suspected illegal cockfight in a remote part of Co Meath, Kells District Court was told yesterday.

The Garda "eye in the sky" had a bird's-eye view of what appeared to be preparations for a cockfight. It took video footage of the scene near Kells last June.

The court heard that the film showed a group of 30 people gathered in a circle in a field, with their vehicles parked near by. On realising they were being "spied" upon by a Garda aircraft, the crowd began to scatter.

One car could be seen reversing from a farm track on to the road, while a jeep allegedly belonging to the defendant left the field by another route.

The film was viewed yesterday by Judge John Brophy. Before the court was Mr James Melia, Diamor, Crossakeel, Kells, who was charged with causing, procuring or assisting in fighting or baiting under the Protection of Animals Act, 1911. However, the case was dismissed when Mr Melia's solicitor successfully argued that the townland on the summons was incorrect.

Judge Brophy said he would have considered imposing a jail term on Mr Melia if he had been convicted in relation to the alleged cockfight.

After the case the Meath Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said it wanted those involved in such activities to know they would not get away with them.

Garda Paul Gallagher of the Air Support Unit said he was in the vicinity of Oldcastle when he observed a fenced-off circular area in a field surrounded by people with parked vehicles.

Once the helicopter was seen the crowd started to leave. He said the jeep was lost from sight after it drove through an area covered by trees and the unit then had to return to refuel. However, the gardaí got the registration plate number.

Four "spurs" used in cockfighting, three inches in length with razor tips on the ends, were recovered.

By nature the birds attack each other using their feet and adding the spurs results in a blood sport.

The judge said: "It was clearly set up to be a cockfight and the defendant thought he was smarter than the others going out another exit."

Source: http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/front/2003/0509/2977674484HM1COCKFIGHT.html

HB 2086	Ordered printed by the Speaker pursuant to House Rule 12.00A (5). Presession filed. (at the request of Joint Interim Committee on Judiciary) -- Relating to cockfighting.
01/13 (H)	First reading. Referred to Speaker's desk.
01/14 (H)	Referred to Judiciary.
02/20 (H)	Public Hearing held.
03/05 (H)	Work Session held.
03/10 (H)	Recommendation: Do pass with amendments and be printed A-Engrossed.
03/12 (H)	Second reading.
03/13 (H)	Third reading. Carried by Williams. Passed. Ayes, 46; Nays, 9--Butler, Close, Doyle, Garrard, Jenson, Kropf, Richardson, Scott, Zauner; Absent, 4--Anderson, Krieger, Kruse, Smith T.; Excused, 1--Morgan.
03/14 (S)	First reading. Referred to President's desk.
03/19 (S)	Referred to Judiciary.
04/28 (S)	Public Hearing held.
05/01 (S)	Public Hearing and Work Session held.
05/06 (S)	Recommendation: Do Pass the A-Eng bill.
05/06 (S)	Second Reading.
05/07 (S)	Carried over to 05-08 by unanimous consent.

Oregon.......

House Bill 2086