FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 16, 2005

Governor signs animal cruelty bill

OLYMPIA -- Gov. Christine Gregoire today signed a bill to increase the penalty for animal cruelty, including brutal dog fighting and cock fighting for public entertainment and profit.

House Bill 1304 was directed toward people who intentionally or knowingly inflict substantial pain, cause physical injury or kill an animal by means causing undue suffering or death. In addition, Rep. Tom Campbell (R-Roy) successfully amended the bill to include his 'animal fighting' bill (HB 1579). 

Under the new law, intentionally inflicting substantial pain or cause physical injury or death is a Class C felony for conviction in the first degree. A second section of the bill classifies as a misdemeanor when, through criminal negligence, a person starves, dehydrates or suffocates an animal, causing unnecessary suffering or pain upon an animal.

With Campbell's amendment, it adds 'animal fighting' as a Class C felony. Any person who knowingly and intentionally owns, breeds, trains, buys or sells animals for the purpose of staging fights commits the crime of animal fighting, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Campbell had the support of many prosecutors and humane workers who appeared in committee to tell of the horrors of the extreme levels of violence that result from animal fighting exhibitions.

He noted an instance where a rottweiler -- probably someone's pet -- was stolen by an organizer of a dog fighting exhibition where the rottweiler was put in an arena with a trained pit bull. "While the crowd cheered, a vicious fight between the two dogs ensued as the pit bull savagely destroyed the hapless rottweiler.

Campbell said there is growing activity in this region that includes organized crime. The current law which required paying a fine, was not a deterrent as the felony punishment would be.

The amended bill relating to animal cruelty and animal fighting passed both the House and the Senate unanimously.

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