United Poultry Concerns October, 20 2003

URGENT: DON'T LET COCKFIGHTERS DETER CONGRESS FROM FUNDING ENFORCEMENT OF FEDERAL
ANIMAL FIGHTING LAW!

Illegal cockfighters are hoping to flood key Senate and House offices with
calls, faxes, and emails pushing to strike $800,000 targeted to crack down
on their industry and also on illegal dogfighting. These funds are contained
in pending legislation (the Agriculture Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year
2004) that will likely be finalized in the next few weeks, possibly as
part of a large "omnibus" appropriations package funding several different
departments of the federal government.

We need to let these offices know that they have MANY compassionate,
concerned, animal-friendly constituents who want to see an end to the
inhumane practices of cockfighting and dogfighting, and who think it's
high time that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) begins to seriously
enforce the federal animal fighting law.

Please contact your Senators and Representative TODAY and urge them to
preserve this $800,000 for animal fighting enforcement in the final
Agriculture Appropriations bill. Make sure to say you're a constituent!

HERE ARE SOME POINTS YOU CAN MAKE WHEN YOU CALL/FAX/E-MAIL:

1) I'm a constituent from (town/city). I am very glad that the pending
Agriculture Appropriations bill contains $800,000 for USDA to finally
begin cracking down on illegal cockfighting and dogfighting. These barbaric
activities have no place in civilized society.

2) This modest funding has broad bipartisan support in both the Senate and
House. But I understand that cockfighters are protesting loudly, calling
your office and others. That's like drug dealers calling Congress and
saying "don't enforce the law against us!" I hope you'll pay more
attention to law-abiding citizens such as myself than to illegal cockfighters and
dogfighters.

3) Animal fighting is NOT "legitimate agriculture." It's a cruel spectacle
that subjects animals to horrible injuries (e.g., pierced lungs and
punctured eyes) for the sake of "entertainment" and illegal gambling. Cockfighters
have spread disease that infected millions of chickens and cost the government
millions of dollars to contain. Dogfighters sometimes steal pets to use as
bait for training their dogs, or they abandon the fighting dogs, leaving
them to roam neighborhoods and endanger public safety.

4) I'm counting on you to do all you can to make sure this $800,000 for
animal fighting enforcement is sustained in the final appropriations bill.

The Honorable _______________
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable _______________
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

To learn your Members of Congress call the Capital Switchboard: 202-224-3121. Or visit www.senate.gov or www.house.gov .

 

United Poultry Concerns is a nonprofit organization that promotes the compassionate and respectful treatment of domestic fowl. http://www.upc-online.org


United Poultry Concerns, Inc.
PO Box 150
Machipongo, VA 23405-0150
757-678-7875
FAX: 757-678-5070
www.upc-online.org

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