Legislation (H.B. 4857) to increase penalties for being a knowing spectator at an animal fight and for manufacturing or possessing implements for animal fighting, is now pending action on the Illinois House Floor. Call and email your representative requesting he or she support H.B. 4857, and use their coalition building skills to urge others to get on board.

Illinois makes animal fighting and possession of animals for fighting a felony, yet manufacturing or possessing implements and being a spectator at an animal fight are judged only as misdemeanors. H.B. 4857 will provide law enforcement the tools they need by making it a misdemeanor with mandatory community service for the first offense and a felony for the second offense.

Go to www.HSUS.org click on the Legislation section and choose State Legislation on that menu. Click the map of Illinois and go down the list of current bills status, around 15 items down the page to Animal Fighting Spectator.  Bookmark the page--HSUS makes it really easy to respond to your representatives on matters of interest and import!

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