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Advocate

Cracking Down on Animal Fighting - SB 377, sponsored by Senator Jim Arnold, D-LaPorte, strengthens the animal fighting law by making it a felony to attend an animal fight. Two dogfighting operations in Orange County, Indiana, were raided, and over 109 dogs were seized in 2009. Animal fighting is one of the most egregious forms of animal cruelty and is associated with other criminal activities, such as illegal drugs, weapons, and gambling.

Prohibiting Coyote and Fox Penning -HB 1135, sponsored by Representative Dave Cheatham, D-North Vernon, prohibits coyote and fox penning. Coyote and fox pens are escape-proof enclosures into which dozens of dogs are released to pursue wild-caught coyotes and foxes that have been stocked in the pen. The dogs are judged by how well they chase down the disoriented and terrified animals, who have nowhere to escape. The dogs often catch and rip apart these captive wildlife.

Stopping Captive Trophy Hunts - Animal advocates are opposing HB 1299, sponsored by Representative David Wolkins, R-Winona Lake, which would specifically legalize captive hunts—something no other state has done. Captive hunting operations are private trophy-hunting facilities that offer their customers the opportunity to kill animals trapped within enclosures. The animals are bred on the ranch or bought from dealers. They are typically semi-tame, hand-reared animals who have lost their fear of humans. They are shot to be trophies and have no chance to escape the fence. A statewide survey conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc., has revealed that Indiana voters strongly support, by 85 to 9 percent, legislation to prohibit the practice of fox and coyote penning in Indiana. The survey results were consistent in every political demographic, with all political affiliations expressing iron-clad opposition to penning and support for legislation to ban it. The statewide survey also revealed that voters widely support pursuing a complete prohibition on captive trophy hunts.

The Hoosier state ranks low in the Humane Society of the United States' national survey of animal protection laws, coming in 34th out of all states and the District of Columbia. While Indiana has strong laws against animal fighting, it still has weak penalties for people attending fights – creating a loophole and making it difficult for law enforcement to crack down on animal fighters. Indiana also currently has weak laws protecting wildlife from abuse, prohibiting the possession of dangerous exotic animals as pets, and protecting farm animals from extreme confinement on factory farms.

For more information, visit:
HSUS Indiana
Humane Voting Scorecard