Kentucky House votes to toughen laws against dog fighting

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A proposal to strengthen Kentucky’s laws against dog fighting has picked up some late momentum by winning approval in the state House.

The House on Wednesday attached the anti-dog fighting proposal to another bill dealing with bees. The combined bill cleared the House on a 75-13 vote and goes back to the Senate for consideration.

House Speaker Greg Stumbo has pushed for tougher laws against dog fighting.

The House-passed language would expand the crime of animal cruelty to include people who own, possess, breed, train or sell "four-legged animals" for fighting purposes.

Supporters of the language say Kentucky is the only state without such a law. As a result, they say Kentucky has become a haven for people who breed and train fighting dogs.

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The legislation is Senate Bill 143.