The FIGHT Act: Ending Cockfighting Is About Public Safety, Congress Must Act

For much of the last 15 years, I’ve worked to end cockfighting in the United States. I’ve written about the cruelty, the suffering, and the moral stain of this barbaric practice. But as Congress considers the Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act, H.R. 3946/S. 1454, led by Sens. John Kennedy, R-LA, and Cory Booker, D-NJ, in the Senate and Reps. Don Bacon, R-NE, and Andrea Salinas, D-OR, in the House, it’s time to make something clear: this bill isn’t just about animal welfare. It’s about crime, disease, national security, and the rule of law.

Cockfighting is already illegal in all 50 states and U.S. Territories under federal law. Yet it persists—openly and defiantly—because enforcement is uneven and the law has gaps that organized criminals exploit. The FIGHT Act closes those loopholes and finally gives law enforcement the tools they need to dismantle this violent underground industry.

Cockfighting is not a fringe hobby. It is a sprawling criminal enterprise. Tens of millions of fighting birds are believed to be bred in the United States, with thousands of backyard operations producing birds for domestic fights and export to pits across Latin America and Asia. These operations generate millions of dollars in illegal gambling and trafficking revenue.

At its core, cockfighting is a spectacle of cruelty. Birds are bred, mutilated, armed with knives, and forced to fight to the death for human entertainment and profit. America banned this practice because it is incompatible with our values. Yet the persistence of cockfighting shows that laws without enforcement are meaningless.

The FIGHT Act strengthens federal law by banning online gambling on animal fights, prohibiting the shipment of mature roosters through the U.S. mail, allowing private citizens to bring enforcement lawsuits, and enabling forfeiture of properties used for animal fighting crimes. These are common-sense reforms that treat animal fighting with the seriousness it deserves. One woman even sold her baby to pay off cockfighting debt.

Animal fighting is not an isolated crime. Law enforcement officials have repeatedly documented its links to narcotics trafficking, illegal weapons, human trafficking, and violent gangs. Cockfights attract large sums of cash and people willing to break the law—making them magnets for criminal networks and cartel activity.

In recent years, cockfighting events have been the scenes of shootings and murders in the United States and abroad. These are not backyard disputes; they are organized spectacles that attract dangerous actors and escalate into deadly violence. If Congress is serious about cracking down on organized crime and protecting communities, it cannot ignore the role cockfighting plays in fueling violence.

Cockfighting also poses a serious threat to America’s food supply and public health. Smuggled fighting birds have been linked to outbreaks of virulent Newcastle disease and other avian pathogens, costing taxpayers billions of dollars and forcing the mass depopulation of poultry flocks. Highly pathogenic avian influenza has already devastated U.S. poultry, and illegal bird trafficking only increases the risk of future outbreaks.

These birds are smuggled across the southern border in large numbers, often by criminal networks that also traffic drugs and people. This is a border security issue as much as an animal welfare issue. When fighting birds move freely across borders, they carry diseases that threaten farmers, consumers, and global health.

One of the strongest arguments for the FIGHT Act is who supports it. Sheriffs, prosecutors, rural law enforcement groups, and poultry producers are united behind this bill. More than 1,000 organizations have endorsed it, including major law enforcement associations and poultry industry groups that understand the devastating economic impact of disease outbreaks.

This is not a partisan issue. Republicans and Democrats alike have sponsored and cosponsored the legislation, recognizing that animal fighting is a criminal enterprise that undermines law and order.

The FIGHT Act modernizes the Animal Welfare Act and reflects the reality of 21st-century crime. Online gambling platforms, international trafficking, and organized crime networks have transformed animal fighting into a global industry. Our laws must catch up.

The FIGHT Act is not radical. It is pragmatic, bipartisan, and supported by those on the front lines of law enforcement and agriculture. It closes loopholes, deters criminals, and protects public health. Most importantly, it sends a clear message: the United States will not tolerate animal fighting or the criminal networks that profit from it.

We’ve fighting this battle for years, and have seen progress—but progress is fragile. Without decisive action, cockfighting will continue to flourish in the shadows, threatening animals, communities, and our national security.

Congress should pass the FIGHT Act without delay. Ending cockfighting is not just about compassion for animals. It is about justice, safety, and the integrity of our laws.

Marty Irby is the president and CEO at Competitive Markets Action, founder of Competitive Markets PAC, and board secretary at the Organization for Competitive Markets in Lincoln, Nebraska. He resides in Washington, D.C.