What has The HSUS done to leverage the Michael Vick case?
Since the Vick case put the spotlight on dogfighting, we have worked with lawmakers, law enforcement officers, community organizers, and others to end dogfighting. In the last two years, we’ve upgraded 26 laws (state and federal) on animal fighting. The HSUS has trained more than 1,000 law enforcement officers on investigating animal fighting and paid out 50 rewards for tips leading to arrests in animal fighting cases. We have worked with law enforcement on more than 200 raids on animal fighting operations. We also launched programs in Atlanta and Chicago to reach at-risk youth. Hundreds of people have participated in our pit bull training classes, which teach dog owners that their pit bulls can be friends, not fighters. We hope to expand these community-based outreach programs to other major urban areas. There is no other animal welfare organization with an entire unit focused only on combating animal fighting. While these efforts have put a dent in the problem of dogfighting, there i
