TulsaPets Magazine Nov/Dec 2020

November/December 2020 • TulsaPets 13 I n 2002, former Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson led the fight to make the bloody sport of cockfighting illegal in the state of Oklahoma. Now, Edmondson says that “Oklahoma is indisputably the cockfighting capital of the United States,” despite the state and federal laws. On Sept. 30, a new campaign to end illegal cockfighting—as well as the abuse of big cats and live-lure Greyhound training—brought together investigations from different animal welfare groups that unveiled Oklahoma’s legacy of animal cruelty. “Cruelty Isn’t OK” was launched by a coalition of key animal protection groups and advocates, including Edmondson. In recent months, the combined problems have come to light following detailed investigations by Animal Wellness Action (AWA), the Animal Wellness Foundation (AWF) and GREY2K USA Worldwide. “Oklahoma is a family-friendly state with a growing economy,” said Edmondson, co-chair of the National Law Enforcement Council of AWA and AWF. “We don’t want this good reputation tarred by the presence of persistent animal cruelty in our state.” In addition to announcing the evidence collected by investigations, the organizations called for the creation of a statewide taskforce to examine improved enforcement of state and federal laws in Oklahoma and policies to fill gaps in the law, particularly when it comes to private ownership of big cats and other potentially dangerous exotic wild animals. The Cockfighting Legacy Supplementing its original investigation into illegal cockfighting, AWA and AWF released letters, signed by Edmondson, to the U.S. Attorneys for the Western and Northern Districts of Oklahoma, detailing illegal animal trafficking for cockfighting based in the Sooner State. In May, the groups wrote to the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma to investigate allegations of ongoing trafficking of birds to Guam for cockfighting and for illegal animal fighting activities. “I was pleased to participate as attorney general in the legal battle to make sure that the initiative petition making Oklahoma the 49th state to ban cockfighting was upheld in the state Supreme Court. Now, nearly two decades later, it’s still going on. There are still breeders raising fighting birds. I am convinced that not only are they shipping them abroad, but I’m convinced there is still cockfighting going on in Oklahoma.” Wayne Pacelle, president of AWA, announced an investigation that flagged major exporters of fighting animals to Guam. He said a records request that was made to the Guam Department of Agriculture showed 8,800 fighting birds—under the pretense of being brood and breeding fowl—were shipped from the United States to Guam over a period of three years. “By far, Oklahoma cockfighters were the number one shippers collectively,” Pacelle said. WRITTEN BY: Heide Brandes ‘Cruelty Isn’t OK’ GROUPS LAUNCH CAMPAIGN TO FIGHT COCKFIGHTING, LIVE BAITING AND UNREGULATED ZOOS Drew Edmondson Christine Dorchak