SACRAMENTO – This month Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation increasing punishment for those found guilty of participating in and attending organized dog fights.

SB 318 by Senator Ron Calderon (D-Montebello) provides procedures for the forfeiting of property acquired through the crime of dogfighting and AB 242 by Assemblymember Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara) imposes stricter penalties on those found guilty of attending dog fights.

“Organized dogfighting is a horrible and inhumane crime that brings cruel violence to our neighborhoods,” said Schwarzenegger. “These bills will increase the punishment for spectators at dog fights and will allow our law enforcement officials to confiscate the profits of this illegal activity.”

SB 318 provides mandatory forfeiture procedures of property and profits acquired by organizers and participants through organized dogfighting. The bill states that the prosecuting agency in any dogfighting crime must file a petition for forfeiture.

AB 242 increases the penalty for being or intending to be a spectator at a dog fight from a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in a county jail to imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by a fine not to exceed $5,000, or by both.

In 2006, the governor signed SB 1349 increasing the penalty for causing any animal to fight with another animal.