As federal government and law enforcement agencies work across America to crack down on illegal animal fighting, online retail giant Amazon.com defiantly continues to serve as a national courier for the cockfighting subculture.
On Wednesday, The Humane Society of the United States amended its complaint filed in federal court against Amazon over the company’s sale of two magazines devoted to the cruel blood “sport” of cockfighting. In response, Amazon has filed papers arguing it has a constitutional right to sell animal fighting materials.
But there is no constitutional right to engage in criminal activity. Amazon is defying federal animal protection law.
The Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act, signed into law in May, amends the Animal Welfare Act to make it a felony to sell fighting birds or cockfighting implements across state lines or to ship them out of the country, or to ship materials that promote animal fighting.
The Gamecock and The Feathered Warrior, often among the top 500 sellers in the magazine category at Amazon.com, burst with ads soliciting specific illegal acts – namely, the purchase of fighting birds and dogs, and weapons designed exclusively for cockfighting. They advertise fighting birds and dogs who “want to hurt something,