Marty Irby, the executive director at Animal Wellness Action, on Friday released the following statement on Wednesday’s Ridgeville cockfighting arrests:
“We applaud the local, state, and federal authorities for taking action and arresting these suspects on cockfighting related charges and hope they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Rep. Nancy Mace has been a tremendous leader on this issue and we applaud her continued work to crackdown against this egregious abuse as well.
Cockfighting runs rampant in South Carolina as we’ve seen in case after case over the past few years. This gruesome blood-sport is not only cruel but is a serious risk to both human and poultry health as fighting birds can easily spread Avian Influenza, a disease that has recently appeared in at least 35 states in the U.S. It's time to stamp out this form of staged cruelty.”
