Opinion: Harsher Penalties for Repeat Dog Fighting Offenders

by Michael
Published April 24, 2025

It is known that dog fights, the act of intentionally causing two or more dogs to fight against each other, and training dogs for dog fights is illegal in all 50 US states. However, the laws prohibiting dog fights and the training for them should be stricter. 

Texas law states, “A person commits an offense if the person intentionally or knowingly:

(1) causes a dog to fight with another dog;

(2) participates in the earnings of or operates a facility used for dog fighting;

(3) uses or permits another to use any real estate, building, room, tent, arena, or other property for dog fighting;
(4) owns or possesses dog-fighting equipment with the intent that the equipment be used to train a dog for dog fighting or in furtherance of dog fighting;
(5) owns or trains a dog with the intent that the dog be used in an exhibition of dog fighting
(6) attends as a spectator an exhibition of dog fighting.” 

The Texas law also states that committing this offense is a “state jail felony,” which is, “punishable by 180 days to two years in a state jail facility.”

However, I think that the law should expand to also include increased punishments for repeat offenders. Failure to follow the laws against dog fighting repeatedly should result in two-and-a-half to three years in prison with community service for animal rehab shelters for six to nine months.  

How often does dog fighting happen and how many dogs die, you may ask? Dogster says that around 16,000 dogs die due to dog fighting a year, and Paws Chicago says, “It is estimated that between 20,000 and 40,000 people participate in the sadly, multi-billion dollar dog-fighting industry" every year.  

Dog fighting is a cruel and evil thing and there should be a law that says failure to follow the laws against dog fighting repeatedly will result in more years in prison and community service helping rehabilitate animals. This would enforce the prohibition of dog fighting and help fix the mistakes offenders have made, hopefully helping to stop people betting on which dog will at least lose the fight severely injured or dead. These laws would help halt the deaths of many dogs, and who have been harmed by people who have in any way participated in dog fighting rings.