| S. 345, introduced by Sen. Wayne Allard (R-CO), would close the loophole in the federal Animal Welfare Act that allows some interstate shipment of birds for fighting and undermines enforcement of the cockfighting bans that exist in 47 states. Cockfighters routinely pump their birds full of drugs to make them hyperagressive; they also put razor-sharp knives or ice pick-like gaffs on the birds' legs and force them to keep fighting despite grievous injuries such as pierced eyes and punctured lungs - all for the "entertainment" of spectators, who quite often include children. |
