GO VA!
Thanks to the Virginia legislature’s strong stance against animal fighting, the Commonwealth is in the process of establishing one of the nation’s most effective laws to eradicate cockfighting and dogfighting.
H.B. 656 was introduced by House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith (R-Salem) and passed today by a vote of 93 to 2. A companion bill, S.B. 592, was introduced by Sen. Tommy Norment (R-Williamsburg) and passed unanimously last week.
The legislation will toughen Virginia’s animal fighting penalties by making organized cockfighting a Class 6 felony, attendance at an animal fight a Class 1 misdemeanor, and allowing a minor to attend or participate in an animal fight a Class 1 misdemeanor.
The House of Delegates took a powerful stance against animal fighting and made it clear that Virginia will no longer be a haven for dogfighters and cockfighters.