Arizona has led the way again in animal cruelty legislation with the passing of S.B. 1115, which makes “horse tripping” against the law. Only eight other states have this legislation. Concerned citizens convinced the Phoenix City Council to make this horrendous abuse of horses illegal back in 2008. Horse tripping consists of riders chasing a horse at high speed, and then lassoing the front legs of the animal to bring it down in a devastating crash just for the “amusement” of spectators.
The day the bill was passed, the Arizona Republic reported a horse tripping complaint of an event being held on the Mogollon Rim. Yet another kind of abuse in early 2008, the organization, Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK), filed a complaint with the animal services division of Arizona’s Department of Agriculture against Tucson’s Fiesta de Los Vaqueros rodeo. SHARK’s president, Steve Hindi, took videos (SEE BELOW) showing horses being shocked with a prod capable of delivering up to 6,000 volts.
S.B. 1115 also establishes new requirements for the inspection of dog kennels that now include the backyard breeders as well as the larger commercial ones. A major provision of the bill makes animal fighting a felony implicating those who own, possess, keep or train animals for fighting, or even allow their premises to be used for fighting. This also involves cock fighting and animals used as bait to train or warm up dogs for fighting.
Animal fighting, as compared to dog fighting, involves turning a trained fighting dog loose on other animals such as pigs and badgers for the purpose of placing bets. If the animal doesn’t die, they are used over and over until they do. Hog-dog fighting is suspected by the Humane Society of the U.S. in nine other southern and southwestern states other than Arizona. In the case of badger baiting, the badger is partially disabled by beating it over the head or by breaking its jaw or chaining its legs.
TOMORROW: More on horse tripping and other animal abuse
Please leave your comments or E-mail me: jack.dundiv@cox.net
For more info:
State Animal Fighting Statutes
Cornell US Code on Animal Fighting
Comments
California was the 1st state to ban horse tripping back in 1994, sponsored by ACTION FOR ANIMALS. Eight other states have since followed suit: NM, TX, OK, FL, IL, ME, NE & now AZ. Nebraska also banned the equally abusive "steer tailing" event last year, the only state to do so. Others should do likewise. Not only do the hapless steers have horns & legs broken, sometimes horses break their legs when the steers run the wrong way. And all in the name of "tradition" and "culture," God forgive us. ("Charreada," the Mexican-style rodeo, features nine standard events. It's the national sport of Mexico.)
To be fair, American rodeo's calf roping & single steer roping events are at least as brutal, and should also be outlawed. The animals (& we) deserve better. As Cesar Chavez wrote to me in 1990:
"Racism, economic deprival, dogfighting, cockfighting, bullfighting and rodeos are cut from the same fabric: violence."
x
Eric Mills, coordinator
ACTION FOR ANIMALS
email - afa
Thanks again Jack for being a voice for animals, you truly deserve to add "Animal Advocate" to your resume, Az animal advocates love you
What other states still find this to be a sport!This is a sad world that we live in! That we find this funny. Sickos!
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