US Launches Massive Crackdown on Dogfighting Operations

Multiple federal agencies are launching a coordinated effort to crack down on dogfighting activities in the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in a Feb. 18 statement.

Numerous agencies involved

In addition to the USDA, other agencies involved in the coordinated effort include the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Health and Human Services.
Heads of these agencies “are taking historic actions to hold chronic companion animal welfare violators accountable and prosecute those who fight dogs to the highest extent of the law in an effort to end this horrific practice once and for all,” USDA said.

“The suite of actions will boost compliance with existing laws, protect our companion animals, and reiterate that the Trump Administration stands with the majority of Americans who own companion animals.”
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), tens of thousands of people could be involved in dogfighting activities in the United States.

Monetary benefit was one of the main reasons people get involved in the activity, ASPCA said, highlighting that major raids on such operations have resulted in seizures of over half a million dollars.

In a single fight, $20,000 to $30,000 may change hands. In addition, the sale of pups from bloodlines seen as promising in fights can net thousands of dollars.
In its statement, USDA said the agency has “significantly strengthened” its oversight of dog breeding facilities over the past 15 years.

The compliance rate of such facilities with the Animal Welfare Act jumped from 67 percent on average in 2015 to more than 92 percent in 2025, which the USDA said reflects regulatory improvements and industry cooperation.

However, despite this progress, many dog breeding facilities continue with “recurring and chronic violations,” USDA said.

To tackle this issue, the agency will close breeding facilities with a history of noncompliance, deploying a specialist team to “aggressively” identify and investigate unlicensed activities under the Animal Welfare Act, and assisting state and local partners to proceed with enforcement actions against breeders not subject to USDA authority.

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According to the USDA, more than 65 million households in the country own a pet dog.

Dogfighting in the US

Multiple individuals have faced legal action for dog fighting in recent years.

In January last year, a 50-year-old man from Maryland was sentenced to six months in federal prison and six months of home detention, followed by three years of supervised release for being involved in a multi-state dog fighting conspiracy, according to a Jan. 24, 2025, statement from the DOJ.

In March, an Oklahoma man, a former NFL player, was charged with running a large-scale dog-fighting and trafficking operation. He was convicted in August for violating the federal Animal Welfare Act’s prohibitions on selling, possessing, delivering, and transporting animals for fighting purposes.

In a Feb. 13 statement, ASPCA said it coordinated with local law enforcement and other entities to rescue almost 200 dogs from a suspected dogfighting operation across dozens of properties in Dallas, Texas.

By Naveen Athrappully | Epoch Times News Service