If passed, HB 423 will make it legal for hunters to trap LIVE raccoons and use them in cruel field trial competitions where they will be held in cages while dogs are trained to "tree-them".

Terrified caged raccoons will be flung high into trees, hauled across a field, or body of water as frantic, barking dogs give chase. They will be forced to endure this ordeal repeatedly--sometimes for hours on end.

In addition to being terrifying to the raccoons, these activities put the animals at risk of developing chronic stress-induced disorders, which could contribute to the spread of dangerous diseases following their release back into the environment.

These events are cruel, dangerous, and harmful to local ecosystems. Field trials should remain illegal in Georgia.

HB 423 must be stopped!