Mannix Porterfield
CHARLESTON — A major step looms today in the Senate toward erasing the “Deliverance” image of West Virginia by making organized animal fights felony crimes.
Several attempts have arisen in recent years to upgrade the illegal practice of cockfighting to a felony.
This time around, the bill advanced by Senate Judiciary Chairman Jeffrey Kessler, D-Marshall, embraces all aspects of animal fighting — dogs, roosters or whatever can be thrown into a ring into a battle to death.
And if the bill succeeds, Kessler can, in some measure, credit Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Michael Vick.
Vick spent time in federal prison for his role in an organized dog-fighting venture, and his high profile status as an NFL player elevated attention to such animal fights.
“I hate to beat him up, but that was a highly publicized case a few years ago,” Kessler said Tuesday, just before his bill cleared the second reading stage without anyone attempting to amend it.
“It’s that kind of operation. You have organized dog fights or other types of organized activities that would be a felony.”
Anyone merely watching one of the animal blood sports or plunking down a bet on one would be guilty of a mere misdemeanor.
Yet, a sliding scale would be in effect, until ultimately such offenses would reach the felony level.
“This is just to prohibit animal fighting ventures,” Kessler said. “The commercial enterprises that are behind that would become a felony.”
Kessler cited polls taken by the Humane Society showing support of more than 80 percent for his bill, even in southern counties where cockfighting has occurred for decades.
Another effort to attack animal fights is being made in the House of Delegates — an attempt by Delegate John Overington, R-Berkeley, to outlaw wagering at such events.
“I think the vast majority of cockfighting is with betting,” Overington explained earlier.
“That is what drives it. This would make it a felony. The way it is now, if you get caught, it’s a misdemeanor, which is maybe a $100 fine.”
When he initially crafted his bill, Kessler said animal fighting conjures a negative image for West Virginia — one that harks back to the violent, genetically defective hill residents in the movie, “Deliverance.”
“It sends a horrible message that West Virginia is still a bunch of backwoods, ‘Deliverance’ Neanderthals who find some type of entertainment in a blood sport of watching a couple of animals fight,” Kessler had said.
As his bill neared passage, he added, “I don’t know how prevalent it is, but hopefully it will be much less prevalent when we get this bill passed.”
— E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com
