Update: This bill died in the Criminal Law subcommittee on 2/4/14. However, another version passed (see S.B. 42)
Bill Description:
H.B. 1188 prohibits the exchange of money and trophies at any event at which a dog and either a coyote or a fox are placed into an enclosed area. The penalty for a violation of the provisions of this bill is a class 6 felony.[teaserbreak]
Background:
Fox penning organizers force dozens of dogs to compete in a fenced-in area to chase—and sometimes rip apart—foxes and coyotes. The wild animals are caught in leghold traps that cause anguish through broken bones or other wounds, and transported in cages to the pen. The caged animals may be trucked hundreds of miles with no food or water, and some animals die on the trip. Once the event begins, the fox or coyote must run for his life inside fences where there is no hope of getting away. With dogs tearing apart the captive animals, there is a constant demand for fresh wildlife for the fox pens.
While this bill won’t outlaw the brutal “sport” entirely, it will disincentivize operators who make money off the carnage.