Arizona
In 1996, Citizens Against Cockfighting launched a ballot
initiative campaign to ban cockfighting in 1998, after 22
frustrated attempts to move the state legislature to action. As
of November, 73,530 signatures have been collected. A total of
158,000 signatures are needed by July 2, 1998, with a 40%
cushion. Happily, the effort to ban cockfighting in Arizona has
the support of an influential newspaper, The Arizona Republic (as
well as others), and the sheriffs in 10 out of 15 counties.
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Please Help For more information on what you can do to bring down
cockfighting in Arizona in 1998, contact Citizens Against
Cockfighting, PO Box 17472, Tucson, AZ 85731. Tucson: 520-722-0129. Phoenix: 602-392-4272. Citizens Against Cockfighting
Chairman Jamie Massey can be reached at 520-290-5585.
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Missouri
Missourians Against Cockfighting have launched an all-out campaign to
put an anti-cockfighting referendum on the
November 1998 ballot. To succeed, they have to get more than
100,000 signatures by June 1998. In the St. Louis-Dispatch, Oct.
12, 1997, campaign manager, Sandy Mickelson, stated that the
referendum drive is designed to bypass a legislature controlled
by a minority of cockfighting supporters. A gamecock
breeder/lobbyist was cited saying he is sure his side will lose
in a public vote.
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(photos by UPC member Linda Howard)
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According to the article, "The statute that Mickelson wants
to put on the ballot would make it a Class D felony to fight
gamecocks, stage a cockfight, knowingly attend a fight, sell a
gamecock, possess cockfighting implements such as gaffs [razor-sharp blades attached to the bird's leg] and sell such
implements."
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The American Veterinary Medical Association has
taken an uncompromising stand against cockfighting. As stated in
the AVMA's 1997 booklet,
The Veterinarian's Role in Animal
Welfare: "The AVMA supports laws against the use of dogs for dog
fights and poultry for cock fights. Further, the AVMA recommends
that dog fighting or cock fighting be considered felony
offenses." |
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Please Help For more information on what you can do to give
cockfighting the boot in Missouri in 1998, contact Missourians
Against Cockfighting, 11939 Manchester Road, #130, St. Louis, MO
63131. Phone: 1-888-98CRUEL (27835); 314-994-1000.
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