Humane Society to double rewards for dogfighting tipsters

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Anyone who provides police with information on illegal dogfighting in Maryland and elsewhere could be eligible for a substantially larger reward, the state’s attorney general and animal rights activists announced Thursday.

The Humane Society of the United States is doubling its reward for dogfighting tipsters from $2,500 to $5,000, said John Goodwin, the organization’s manager of animal-fighting issues. The group said nine people have been arrested and more than 50 dogs have been rescued in Maryland since March 2006.

“This animal-fighting industry is a violent, criminal industry,” Goodwin said at a news conference held at the Humane Society of Baltimore County’s Reisterstown campus. “There are some people who have information, and we want to make it worth it for them with a generous incentive.”

The announcement came on the first anniversary of NFL star Michael Vick’s indictment on dogfighting charges. The case sparked a tsunami of activism to get tougher laws on the books, including a measure passed by Maryland’s General Assembly earlier this year toughening the penalties for those attending an illegal dog- or cockfight.

Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler said investigations in Maryland also have produced illegal drugs, firearms, gambling and gang charges.

“It’s brutal, it’s unconscionable and it’s vicious and it’s certainly inhumane,” Gansler said. “It’s really a ripe haven for law enforcement to come in and get the underlying crime of dogfighting, but also get drugs and illegal guns and gambling as well.”

The increased reward is made possible by a grant from the Holland M. Ware Charitable Foundation, a Georgia-based organization that promotes the prevention of cruelty to animals. Anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of a person involved in illegal animal fighting is eligible, and tipsters can remain anonymous, Goodwin said.

In Maryland, cockfighting and dogfighting are felonies punishable by up to three years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Attending a fight is a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $2,500 fine.

Baltimore County Police Chief James Johnson said a citizen provided a tip on a scheduled dogfight eight months ago.

“People were flying across the county to attend this event,” he said, “and we were able to stop it from happening.”

jmalarkey@baltimoreexaminer.com

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