Animal Wellness Action intends to provide the U.S. Attorney on Guam with records showing that two-thirds of the 750 game-fowl shipments to Guam over the past three years came from known cockfighters in the states.
The founder of the group, Wayne Pacelle, told K-57’s Patti Arroyo this morning that he is very disappointed with the Guam Department of Agriculture’s decision not to start screening game-fowl shipments for cockfighting birds.
Pacelle says it has been illegal to ship fighting animals across state or territorial lines since 2002.
But Chelsa Muna Brecht, the director of the department, told the Pacific News Center Monday that since there has been no change in local law, her department would not start to restrict anyone’s access to imported birds.
“I’m a little bit astonished at the idea that the director is saying well, we don’t have a prohibition on cockfighting, therefore we’re going to allow the interstate, state to territory, movement of animals for which there is no doubt that it’s illegal,” Pacelle said.
He added: “I think the agency is exposing itself to risk. The U.S. Attorney on Guam will get this information from us as well and see not only that there were these illegal shipments but that the people on both ends of the transport — the people shipping from the states to Guam and then receiving it on Guam — are deeply involved in the cockfighting industry.”
Pacelle also said that the U.S. Postal Service bears some responsibility for shipping cockfighting birds and he will be writing to the postal inspection service and ask them to look into the game-fowl shipments to Guam as well.
##
