New Jersey Continues To Combat Cruel “Trunk Fighting” with S975 - National Humane Education Society

Update (5/25/2021): Governor Murphy signed S975 into law. Please show your support by thanking Governor Murphy today!

January 27, 2021

To the New Jersey Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee for showing unanimous favor in the passage of the 2nd reading of S975 to help prosecute those found guilty of trunk fighting.

Have you ever heard of “trunk fighting?” It isn’t new to legislators in New Jersey. Since 2013, they have been trying to pass legislation to make this horrific form of animal fighting a third-degree offense. It is even more elusive for law enforcement and animal control officers to detect than organized dog fighting rings because of trunk fighting’s mobility, brevity, and lack of evidence that it even took place. Trunk fighting is the cruel act of enclosing two dogs in the trunk of a car and driving around until they severely injure or kill one another. According to this article (Ortiz, 2010, p. 17) featured in the Stanford Journal of Animal Law and Policy, individuals who use this form of animal fighting are referred to as “streetfighters.”

“Some streetfighters, for example, engage in a fight format called ‘trunking,’ which is ‘a mobile battle where two dogs are thrown into the trunk of a car and bets are placed on which dog will emerge alive when the car stops and the lid is lifted.'”

Ortiz, F. (2010). Making the Dogman Heel: Recommendations for Improving the Effectiveness of Dogfighting Laws. Stanford Journal of Animal Law & Policy, Vol. 3(Issue 1), 17.

Senator Thomas Kean (R-District 21) has been one of the legislators continually advocating for a law to be passed to punish this detestable form of animal cruelty. In January 2020, he, along with Senator Troy Singleton (D-District 7), reintroduced “trunk fighting” legislation with S975. Although dog fighting is a felony throughout the United States, punishments can vary drastically between states. Often those suspected of dog fighting go unpunished because the resources to pursue investigations are sorely lacking, or it can be challenging to prove their involvement due to insufficient evidence. New Jersey’s Governor signed S736 in 2015, amending its RICO law to include dog fighting as a predicate act and create separate penalties for leaders of dog fighting rings. This law was passed to keep all offenders who participate in dog fighting from getting off with little to no punishment. S975 is a continuance of New Jersey’s efforts to punish those who commit crimes against animals.

Take Action: New Jersey residents, please contact your representative to show your support for the passage of this bill to aid in the prosecution of those who participate in this vicious form of animal cruelty. If you suspect animal fighting is occurring in your area, please contact your local law enforcement. Help raise awareness about animal fighting by ordering or downloading our free brochure.