Maryland lawmakers said they were hesitant to toughen penalties for attending a dogfight despite urging by animal rights advocates who say the sport is rapidly infiltrating Baltimore basements.
The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday considered a proposal that would change watching an illegal dog or cockfight from a misdemeanor offense punishable by 90 days in jail to a felony with a three-year maximum sentence. Sponsor Del. James Malone, a Baltimore and Howard County Democrat, and other supporters said they hoped stricter sentences would prompt police to conduct more thorough investigations.
“Make no bones about it,” Malone said. “It?s a very lucrative sport; it?s alcohol-related, it?s drug-related. It?s also gang-related.”
The bill was inspired by former NFL star Michael Vick, now serving a federal sentence for running dogfights out of his Virginia home. In Maryland, at least 49 dogs have been rescued and eight men charged with dogfighting since November 2007, according to the Humane Society of the United States. Chris Schindler, the society?s deputy manager of animal fighting law enforcement, described organized fights in Baltimore offering purses as high as $25,000.
But some lawmakers said the misdemeanor charge is rarely prosecuted in Maryland and that tougher penalties for attending a dogfight might not encourage more enforcement.
Del. Luiz Simmons, a Montgomery County Democrat, said felonies carry heavy “collateral consequences,” such as the ineligibility to obtain public housing or join the armed forces.
Del. Kevin Kelly, an Allegany County Democrat, said current maximum penalties were sufficient.
“I would give everyone the maximum,” Kelly said. “I get offended when I hear prosecutors and law enforcement say, ?We?re not going to pursue the investigation because it?s only a misdemeanor.? ”
Baltimore City Health Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein testified in favor of the bill. Sharfstein said the city is prosecuting two cases of dogfighting since creating a task force to crack down on the fights in July. The city?s police and health departments investigate about 250 cases of animal cruelty reported annually, most of which are related to dogfighting, according to Sharfstein.
If the bill passes, Maryland would join 19 states that have made attending a dogfight a felony. The committee has not scheduled a vote on the bill.
