The recent arrest of a Chester County man for allegedly running an organized dogfighting operation has once again exposed the brutal reality of animal cruelty in South Carolina. Investigators seized multiple dogs with horrific injuries, including scarred muzzles, infected wounds, hernias, and signs of chronic starvation. Some were chained outside with no clean water or shelter. One was found in a pen filled with feces, suffering from deformities caused by long-term neglect.

This was not an isolated incident. It was a coordinated operation with text messages arranging fights and evidence of drug trafficking on the same property.

South Carolina must take stronger action to stop this cruelty.

We are calling on the South Carolina Legislature to:

• Increase mandatory prison time for felony dogfighting convictions
• Ban convicted offenders from owning or possessing animals in the future
• Require forfeiture of equipment, property, and funds used in or gained through animal fighting
• Elevate penalties for repeat offenders and those engaged in organized fighting rings involving drugs or firearms

Dogfighting is not just animal abuse. It is often linked to violent crime, drug trafficking, and illegal gambling. It endangers communities and causes unimaginable suffering to innocent animals.

South Carolina has made progress in recent years, but penalties for organized animal fighting remain far too lenient for the scale of harm inflicted. These animals deserve better. So do the communities that are forced to live near this violence.

Sign this petition if you believe South Carolina must strengthen its dogfighting laws and treat this crime like the serious, organized cruelty it truly is.