SHS Assists in Cockfighting Bust

June 7, 2010 - Together, the SHS, Greenville County Animal Care Services, The HSUS, and the Greenville County Sherriff's Office worked to rescue 197 fighting roosters from a northern Greenville County cockfighting operation yesterday.  The SHS assisted with evidence documentation in addition to animal handling and transportation. 

"Cockfighting is more than a crime against animals," SHS President and CEO Sandy Christiansen said. "It is a crime against the whole community.  Illegal gambling, conspiracy, money laundering, and tax evasion are common place in cockfighting, as evidenced by the $15,854 seized in this raid."  

South Carolina is one of only eleven states where cockfighting is not a felony.  In both Georgia and North Carolina people face much more stringent penalties for this offense.  Currently in South Carolina, cockfighting is a misdemeanor, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail or up to a $1,000 fine. The reality is that most cockfighters are sentenced to pay a very small fine and receive no jail time.

As a result, South Carolina has become a haven for people who want to pursue this illegal activity.  This is particularly true in the Upstate, which is so close to the borders of North Carolina and Georgia.   In this case police officers arrested 85 individuals, 39 of whom were cockfighters from one of these two states.

The South Carolina legislature has introduced bills that would increase the penalties for cockfighting to a felony level crime every year for almost a decade.  Despite endorsements from law enforcement agencies, animal welfare groups, and religious and family values advocates, our lawmakers fail to pass legislation strengthening these laws year after year. 

"This case, along with many other high profile cockfighting cases statewide, points to the clear need for stronger cockfighting laws," Christiansen said. "We must join our neighbors and make cockfighting a felony on the first offense in South Carolina.  Until we do, cockfighters will continue to risk a slap on the wrist as the cost of doing business."

The Spartanburg Humane Society is a 501(C)(3) organization whose mission is to provide quality care to lost and unwanted pets while raising community awareness about issues affecting companion animals.  In addition to providing shelter and care to thousands of animals in need each year, the SHS offers programs and services aimed at creating a safer and healthier community for pets and people.  These programs include low cost veterinary services, dynamic humane education programs, and effective dog training and pet behavior consultation.