Effective December 20th, a Federal law banned organized animal fighting in all states and territories. Since 2007 it has been illegal to transport animals between states or territories for the purpose of fighting.

It now emerges that breeders of fighting cocks in the U.S. are shipping birds to Guam and Puerto Rico where cockfighting is prevalent.

The Animal Wellness Foundation documented 500 illegal shipments of fighting birds to Guam involving 9,000 birds in a 33 month period. Birds were shipped by 71 consigners located in Oklahoma, California, Hawaii, North Carolina, and Alabama. The top five shippers apparently accounted for 50 percent of the consignments.

The scope and frequency of shipments as documented, confirm the magnitude of cockfighting in the U.S. with attendant risks to the poultry industry. Apart from the welfare and moral issue of cockfighting, shipment of birds across state lines into territories, and more importantly, the reverse, provides opportunities to transmit both catastrophic and erosive diseases.

Pressure is now being placed on the Governor of Guam to take action in compliance with Federal law.