This petition is deeply personal to me. My dog, Brunson, was horrifically abused and tortured by his previous owner, right here in our local community of Dayton, OH. The scars of this trauma are not just physical but emotional as well.

Dog fighting is not just a local problem; it's a national crisis. According to the Humane Society of the United States, tens of thousands of people are involved in professional dogfighting rings across the country. This brutal form of animal cruelty is often associated with other forms of criminal activity including illegal gambling and drug trafficking.

Despite these alarming statistics, penalties for dog fighting remain woefully inadequate. In Ohio alone, while animal cruelty can be charged as either a misdemeanor or felony depending on the circumstances (Ohio Revised Code 959), we believe that stricter laws and harsher punishments are needed to deter such heinous acts.

We must send a clear message that animal abuse will not be tolerated in our society. We call on lawmakers to increase penalties for those convicted of dog fighting or animal cruelty offenses - making them felonies punishable by significant fines and imprisonment.

By signing this petition you stand with us against animal cruelty and send a clear message to our law makers that Brunson, and other animals like him, matter.