Senate supports Arnold’s bill that targets animal-fighting contests
INDIANAPOLIS — The Senate approved a bill Thursday that would raise the penalty for attending an animal-fighting contest from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class D felony.
State Sen. Jim Arnold, D-La Porte, authored Senate Bill 11, which aims to curtail animal-fighting contests by imposing greater penalties on spectators. The bill was approved with bipartisan support in the Senate by a 38-10 vote, sending it to the House for further consideration.
“I’m happy to have received bipartisan support on an issue that I take very seriously,” Arnold said in a press release. “This bill is a necessary step in protecting animals’ rights and ensuring that they are properly cared for.”
Indiana currently has the 32nd strictest dog-fighting laws, ranked below neighboring states Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky and Michigan. Under current state law, spectatorship is a criminal charge cited as cruelty to an animal. SB 11 would repeal this law and warrant the same punishment for spectators that currently exists for promoters and sponsors.
As a Class D felony, those who attend an animal-fighting contest would be subject to a fine up to $10,000, or imprisonment for six months to three years.
(Source: thenewsdispatch.com)
