AP Photo
As you no doubt know, I’ve not hesitated to use this blog to take on animal abuse, especially when it comes to the vicious mistreatment of dogs through the so-called “sport” of dogfighting. And I really thought we were making some progress against dogfighting this past year with law enforcement officers making a couple of major national busts.
Then came the stunning news that the Supreme Court had struck down a federal law designed to stop the sale and marketing of videos showing dogfights and other illegal acts of animal cruelty. The majority of the justices said the law was an unconstitutional violation of free speech, because it was too broad and could, for example, allow prosecutions for selling photos of out of season hunting. As a result, the high court threw out the conviction of a Virginia man who sold vicious dog-fighting videos that he advertised in Sporting Dog Journal, an underground magazine devoted to illegal dogfighting.
I was sick to my stomach. Dogfighting is illegal in this country but selling a dog-fighting video isn’t? We’re seriously going to let people profit from their films of pets being abused? Is there anyone out there who thinks that is even close to being the right thing to do?
If anything, the Supreme Court decision only proves that we’ve still got a long way to go when it comes to protecting animals. That’s why we’re putting together a show that is going to shine a harsh spotlight on the animal abuse that still plagues our country. We’re not only going after people who think it’s perfectly acceptable to leave their pets cramped in cages with little or no water and blatant neglect, we’re going after those professional “dogfighters” who diligently train their pit bulls to fight other pit bulls to the death and every other form of abuse.
I’m sure you are going to find the show revealing. And if you know of anyone — someone in your neighborhood, someone from work, even a relative — who is abusing animals, let us know. We’ll try to do something about it. I promise you. This injustice cannot continue. It’s time to fight back.
