Willie Nelson Jumps On Board to Fight for the Dogs
Music Legend shoots video PSA in support of tougher dog fighting laws in the Peach State
By Jon Dunn, Best Friends Staff
The PSA shot by Best Friends Animal Society will run in Georgia, and across the country. Please click here to see the video!American Legend Willie Nelson joined forces with Best Friends Animal Society to take a stand against dog fighting. Before a recent concert at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nelson took the time to make his feelings known about the brutal industry of dog fighting by shooting a PSA in support of the Georgia Dog Fighting Act . If passed, the Georgia Dog Fighting Act , which will be introduced in the 2008 Georgia legislative session, will amend and strengthen the state's dog fighting laws.
“Willie could not have been more gracious,” said Best Friends Animal Society Campaign Specialist Jon Dunn. “Willie has an enormous amount of compassion for animals, and we couldn’t be happier that he decided to join forces with us and the thousands of people across Georgia who want to see a tougher law.”
The public service announcement will begin airing across the state of Georgia in December, and continue through the legislative session, which begins in January. Willie Nelson taking part this year will hopefully push the bill over the edge to passage. But for four years, many people in the state have been working hard to strengthen the dog fighting laws, including the Georgia Dog Fighting Act's sponsor, Senator Chip Rogers.
A few years ago, in Chip Rogers’ suburban Atlanta district, a three year old boy was brutally attacked by a pit bull. It was a tragic story, the kind that can easily cause a knee jerk reaction to hate the breed, and that’s exactly what happened.
“My first reaction was to ban pit bulls,” explained Rogers. “But the more I researched I realized these dogs are not to blame. It’s the widespread fighting issue. These guys are creating killing machines. They are the ones that must be stopped, not the dogs.”
So three years ago Rogers set out to bring the state of Georgia more in line with other states around the country by toughening up the state's dog fighting laws. Opposition from groups have made passage of the bill difficult, but several re-writes later, Rogers and others in the state believe this January will be time for victory.
“My goal is to have this passed and to the Governor by the end of January,” said Rogers. “We have become a haven for dog fighting. We do not want to be the dog fighting capital of the United States.”
Georgia is not the only state in the nation taking a second look at its laws, especially after the Michael Vick case. For Georgia, the home of the Atlanta Falcons, the Vick case may just make it that much easier to finally get the legislation through.
“It was a sad case [Vick],” explained Rogers. “It was especially sad that it took what happened with Vick to heighten awareness. Everyone in Georgia now realizes that dog fighting is a serious crime, and I just hope we can turn something that was so bad into something good.”
The bill has already passed the Senate, in the last session by an overwhelming 54-to-0 vote. It will go through the same process in the House in January, and Rogers is now pushing his colleagues hard to make sure that this time, anyone involved in dog fighting does not have the opportunity to get away unpunished.
The current law is weak on the industry of dog fighting in the state. This bill would toughen the penalties on anyone involved in any areas of dog fighting, as well as make it a felony offense to attend a dog fight.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Donate to get this PSA on the air in Georgia. With your help, we can spread the word about the Georgia Dog Fighting Act, and help end the cruelty of dog fighting in the Peach State.
Join this campaign!Staying in touch with the latest developments is an enormous part of this campaign. Politics changes everyday so please stay informed by joining the Network
by clicking here!. Once you are a member, please join this community by clicking on the, “join this community” link on the right side of the page. You can choose to be alerted any time a new story is posted. That is the best way to stay informed!
Contact your lawmakers!Please make sure you contact your Georgia lawmakers. Letting them know that there are people in their respective districts that support the legislation is the best way to let them know that they need to vote for the bill!
Please use the
following link to find out who your lawmakers are (use the zip +4 search box on the left), and then look under the resources tab above to find a sample letter that you are more than welcome to use as a template. Again, a show of force is so important in a political campaign, so make sure to tell your friends to e-mail their representatives too!
LIKE THIS STORY, SHARE IT WITH OTHERS