Federal wildlife penning ban proposed

Washington

-- The U.S. Representatives in September heard the introduction of a bill to prohibit the interstate transport of animals used in wildlife penning.

U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) introduced the bill to combat the practice of "wildlife penning," where wild animals are placed in pens with dogs for competitive animal fights.

Various states have been cracking down in recent months on practices that lead to penning, like the Indiana Natural Resource Commission's July vote to stop allowing coyote trapping for transport to wildlife pens.

The Humane Society of the United States claims that studies have indicated that transporting wild animals for penning purposes increases the spread of rabies and other diseases. Both the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) have encouraged regulations against the practice of wildlife penning.