Dogfighting is illegal! 
The problem is that nobody can do anything about this until the authorities can physically catch them fighting the dogs.  

The tragedy in dog fighting is not only within the fight itself. It's in the life of these dogs before the fight. It's the training. It's the cruelty of being anchored to the ground by massive logging chains that weigh, in some cases, more than the dog itself. That could be the equivalent of having a hundred pound chain tied around your neck. The weight is unevenly distributed causing severe health concerns for the dog. It's not muscle-building like they claim.  

Now, I know that we all can't agree that dogs should or shouldn't be tied out altogether and that's fair... but I think we CAN all agree that being tied out in this fashion would be considered cruel or inhumane.  

If that's not enough to trigger your empathy, the animals are left out there, tied up by these massive chains affixed to car axles driven into the ground during extreme weather... tornados, severe thunderstorms, single-digit frozen nights with no more shelter than a plastic barrel that is just barely enough to knock the wind off... Doesn't sound appealing, does it?  

And, oh, how they cry... 

I would propose that we amend the current cruelty to animal laws to include ... 

A) tethering a dog by use of a tow or logging chain; or any other device weighing more than one eigth of the dog's total body weight; or a choke, pinch, prong or chain collar;  

B) leaving a dog outside and unattended with a restraint that unreasonably limits its ability to escape harm during severe weather alerts (ie. tornado watch/ warning, hurricane, thunderstorms, floods, hail, snow, sleet, etc...), state of emergencies, and extreme temperatures, below 32 degrees Fahrenheit or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, with exception being made for specific breeds that are more tolerant to such extreme temperatures, as specified by the current USDA guidelines 

C) leaving a dog outside and unattended without access to:
     1. potable water; 
     2. proper nourishment; 
     3. adequate shelter, 
             a) fitted with a sufficient quantity of bedding material when necessary to protect the dog from cold and promote the retention of body heat during winter months; 
             b) with an outside area that provides proper shade from direct sunlight during the summer months;  
     4. an area that allows the dog to avoid standing water and exposure to excessive animal waste,
     
This is similar to other state laws and, in my humble opinion, a fair compromise. It could also help deter some of the local dog-fighting camps and certainly give the authorities more power to intervene, when a defenseless animal is suffering these horrific living conditions.  

I would like to appeal to every dog lover this reaches, every animal lover, every Christian that is taught that we are to be good stewards of all God's creatures...
please consider signing this petition to help persuade our local legislators to sponsor such a bill.