Animal rights leader skeptical of recently-passed legislation

Just because it's recognized as a cultural practice, doesn't mean it's gonna fly. Animal Wellness Action's Wayne Pacelle gave his reaction to the recent passing of the PAWS Act.

Also known as "Pugua's Law", the act got the governor's signature and is now public law.  Animal Wellness Action founder Wayne Pacelle says the law's passage is a big step forward for the island. "I think it's just an outstanding development, this is a very strong anti cruelty statute. It upgrades Guam's law against Animal Cruelty, it bans beastiality, it strengthens law against dog fighting, it deals with neglect. It really makes it one of the top 10 anti cruelty statutes in the United States. If you think of the 50 states and 6 territories, this really puts Guam in an enviable position," he said.

Pacelle says getting tough on animal abuse, gets to the roots of bigger issues that plague our communities.

"There's so much evidence of a link between malicious animal cruelty and then other forms of social violence. People who do these kinds of terrible things to animals, may be a person who harms his spouse or a child, commits some other

intolerable act against a person," he continued. "So, this is not an issue of just helping animals, which alone, would warrant the action. This is really about decency, and about really identifying people who are a danger to all of us."

A provison introduced by Senator Pedo Terlaje, was made before the bill left session floor, recognized cockfighting as a cultural practice on Guam, but Pacelle says you can recognize it all you want, but it still ain't gonna happen.

He explained, "It's just something that is a show, and an act, by the senator who did it. It has zero legal affect, zero. But, I do feel like some people may think, well this provision is in the law, therefore i can go cockfight. That is not true. This is a federal felony, you can go to jail for 15 or 20 years. Every single count in the federal law, and one animal being involved is one count, is up to 5 years in jail."

Senator Terlaje's office issued this statement in response: "Cockfighting remains legal under Guam law and while it is prohibited by the federal government, local law enforcement does not have to aid federal law enforcement in any way to enforce this federal law.  Aiding in this enforcement, by law, is the lowest priority of the Government of Guam.  Only when we've solved every other problem in Guam will we even think about helping to enforce it.

Wayne Pacelle says that he knows the people of Guam better than we know our own people, he says that he knows the people of Guam are against cockfighting without setting foot on this island. I invited him to come debate me at the cockfighting dome in Dededo, to meet the people of Guam, but he's too chicken to debate.

This ban was imposed upon us without our consent and without our voting representation.  Where is the democracy in that, where is the human rights in that?  It was imposed on us by people who have never been here, who don't respect the Chamorro people and who don't respect our culture.  Don't go sticking your silver spoons in our champalådu.  Chamorro culture belongs to the Chamorro people and no outsider will dictate our culture to us."

According to Pacelle, regardless, under federal law, an individual can be fined up to 250 thousand dollars per violation.

"I really hope that political leaders having taken this really strong affirmative action to make animal cruelty a felony offense on Guam recognize, even if they think cockfighting is okay, that they recognize what the law says. The congress has acted, the courts have affirmed it, the people of Guam said they agree with it," he said.