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Dog fighting laws to be voted on Less than 24 hours after former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison on dog fighting charges, proposed legislation to strengthen Georgia's dog fighting laws will make a difference, State Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) said in a press conference at the state capitol. Senate Bill 16, which passed the Senate 54-0 earlier this year and awaits a vote in the House of Representatives, will strengthen Georgia's law by increasing the penalties for dog fighting and will make it illegal for a person to own, breed, purchase or transport a dog for the purpose of fighting or baiting. It also will fortify the present laws to increase prison time and fines (from $5,000 to more than $20,000) for those who partake in dog fighting. If the bill passes, Georgia would rank behind only New Jersey and Alabama for the nation's strongest dog fighting laws. The Georgia Dog Fighting Act (SB 16), authored by Sen. Rogers, criminalizes the entire dog fighting industry - that includes training dogs, raising dogs, transporting dogs or hosting a dog-fighting event. Right now it is difficult to arrest someone who is not actively involved in dog fighting - in fact, Vick could not have been convicted in Georgia under the current law. Sen. Rogers said that Senate Bill 16 should be voted on by the House of Representatives in January and then will go to Gov. Perdue for his signature.
Sen. Rogers said he and others have worked hard over the past several years to perfect the legislation, and that this bill only addresses dog-on-dog fighting - it does not prohibit hunting with dogs, dog training or dog competitions.
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