A proposed bill that which would prohibit owning, breeding, training or selling a four-legged animal used for fighting in Kentucky still hasn’t been heard by the full House. The so-called “dog fighting bill” was approved by a committee two weeks ago. It would exempt “activities authorized either by a hunting license or by the Department of Fish and Wildlife.”
But Doug Morgan, President of the Kentucky Houndsmen Association, said the bill needs to explicitly be limited to dog-on-dog fighting.
“What if you let your dog out of your house and it chases a squirrel? You don’t have a hunting license and you’re not under the auspices of the Fish and Wildlife Department, you’re a felon,” Morgan said.
The bill doesn’t explicitly mention dogs.
House Speaker and bill sponsor Greg Stumbo says the bill was written to also ban fighting by other animals like pigs, bears or horses.
“How many instances are there in this Commonwealth of Kentucky where there’s rings of these deviants that buy horses? There’s not,” Morgan said.
Morgan said he’s writing language that would limit the bill to dog-on-dog fighting and will look for a legislator to sponsor an amendment.
