Committee rejects bill to narrow animal-fighting law, citing public-safety and enforcement concerns

The Senate Judiciary Committee met Tuesday to consider House Bill 1611, a measure sponsored in the chamber by Sen. Jonathan Kroll that would narrow the state's animal-fighting law for game fowl and limit law-enforcement seizure of roosters unless there is clear and convincing evidence they were used in fighting.

Supporters said the bill protects legitimate breeders and farmers from criminal liability and from having birds euthanized after raids; opponents said it would make it much harder for prosecutors and local animal-control officers to interrupt illegal fighting rings.

Proponents, including Blake Pierce of the Arkansas Game Fowl Commission, told the committee the measure is 'a farmer-protection bill' intended to keep breeders from losing valuable birds to enforcement actions and to narrow prosecutions to organized fighting and proven uses in fights. Pierce said the bill would let owners keep birds unless prosecutors can show the specific bird was used in a fight.

Opponents included Cole Wakefield, executive director of Good Shepherd Humane Society (Carroll County), who testified on behalf of the Arkansas…