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Save Dogs From Agony! Make the Fight Against Dogfighting Permanent

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Sponsor: The Animal Rescue Site

Dogfighting is a federal crime — but without permanent funding, the agencies built to stop it may not last.

Two dogs wrestle and snap at each other on a sandy beach, mid-air in an intense play fight.

Organized dogfighting is not a marginal problem confined to a few bad actors. Law enforcement officials describe it as rampant — a nationwide network of criminal enterprises that breed, train, and transport animals across state lines, generating profit through deliberate cruelty.2 These operations are coordinated and entrenched. The dogs inside them endure prolonged abuse, severe injury, and death, often for years before anyone intervenes.

The Scale Is Staggering

Federal law has banned organized animal fighting since 2007. Enforcement, however, has struggled to match the scope of the problem. A 2025 case out of Oklahoma revealed just how large a single operation can grow: one individual was charged with running a dogfighting and trafficking venture involving hundreds of animals, with buyers across multiple states.4 By August of that year, a former NFL player connected to the same network had been convicted on related charges — a case that pulled back the curtain on how far these enterprises can reach.6

These networks are built to avoid detection. Animals are moved constantly. Operations are concealed on rural properties. Communities tied to the trade have strong incentives to stay quiet. The result is that reactive enforcement — waiting for a tip, responding to a single site — rarely touches the full network.5

Federal Agencies Are Starting to Catch Up

In February 2026, the USDA joined with the DOJ, DHS, and HHS in a coordinated crackdown on chronic animal welfare violators — a significant shift toward treating organized cruelty as the multi-agency problem it is.3 Then, in September 2026, the USDA announced an expansion of its investigative capacity specifically targeting companion animal welfare, with tools designed to support proactive investigation rather than case-by-case reaction.1

The ASPCA has long emphasized that breaking these networks requires sustained investigative work — following the operation, not just executing a single raid and walking away.5 The federal infrastructure to do exactly that now exists. What it needs is permanent funding and institutional commitment to keep it running.

Momentum Is Not Enough

One-time action does not break cycles that have persisted for decades. Without dedicated, lasting funding, the expanded investigative capacity the USDA has built could stall before it delivers real results. Animal fighting networks are also tied to other serious criminal activity — illegal gambling, weapons violations — making federal disruption of these enterprises a matter of public safety, not just animal welfare.2

The window for sustained federal action is open. The USDA Office of Inspector General, the Senate Agriculture Committee, and the House Agriculture Committee have the authority to make sure it stays that way — through permanent funding and a firm commitment to proactive investigation of organized animal fighting nationwide.1,3

Sign the petition now to urge federal leaders to permanently fund and prioritize proactive investigation of organized dogfighting and animal fighting networks across the United States.

More on this issue:

  1. USDA Office of Communications, United States Department of Agriculture (21 September 2026), "USDA Announces Actions Marking New Era of Companion Animal Welfare."
  2. Christopher Cann, USA Today (8 March 2025), "The animal blood sport that still remains 'rampant' across the US."
  3. USDA Office of Communications, United States Department of Agriculture (18 February 2026), "USDA, DOJ, DHS, and HHS Launch Coordinated Effort to Crackdown on Chronic Dog Welfare Violators."
  4. DOJ Office of Public Affairs, United States Department of Justice (25 March 2025), "Oklahoma Man Charged with Operating Large-Scale Dog Fighting and Trafficking Venture."
  5. ASPCA Communications, ASPCA (8 April 2026), "Dogfighting Is Still Happening — Here's How the ASPCA Is Fighting Back."
  6. DOJ Office of Public Affairs, United States Department of Justice (4 August 2025), "Former NFL Player Convicted of Operating Large-Scale Dog Fighting and Trafficking Venture in Oklahoma."

The Petition

To the Inspector General, United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, United States Senate; and the Agriculture Committee, United States House of Representatives

Organized dogfighting is not a fringe problem. Law enforcement officials describe it as rampant — a network of criminal enterprises that breed, train, transport, and sell animals across state lines, operating in the open while largely evading federal accountability. These are not isolated incidents. They are coordinated operations, and the animals caught inside them endure prolonged suffering that most people never see.

Federal law has prohibited organized animal fighting since 2007. Enforcement, however, has historically been reactive — dependent on tips, local referrals, and single-site raids that rarely reach the broader network. Cases like the 2025 Oklahoma prosecution, in which one operation involved hundreds of animals and buyers across multiple states, demonstrate exactly how large and entrenched these ventures can become when left unchecked.

That is beginning to change. Earlier this year, the USDA announced an expansion of investigative capacity specifically targeting companion animal welfare, alongside ongoing interagency coordination with DOJ, DHS, and HHS. This is meaningful progress. Proactive investigation — following the network rather than responding only after abuse has already occurred — is what actually disrupts these operations. The infrastructure to do this work now exists.

What we are asking is straightforward: ensure it lasts. Permanent, dedicated funding for the USDA's expanded investigative capacity is essential. So is a firm institutional commitment to proactive investigation of organized animal fighting networks, not just enforcement triggered by outside complaints. One-time action does not break cycles that have persisted for decades.

Animals caught in fighting operations bear the physical evidence of prolonged, deliberate cruelty. Compassion alone demands we act to stop it. But this is also a matter of public safety — animal fighting networks are frequently connected to other serious criminal activity, including illegal gambling and weapons violations. Federal investment in disrupting these enterprises protects communities, not just animals.

The window for sustained federal action is open. The tools are in place. What these animals need now is the commitment of the people with the authority to fund and direct this work — consistently, proactively, and long-term. Holding that commitment will ensure a safer, more humane future for animals and communities across this country.

Sincerely,

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