Annie Duke and Howard Lederer Join The HSUS to Speak Out Against Dogfighting

Poker champions Annie Duke and Howard Lederer are featured in an online video message and advertisements at the Las Vegas airport to spread an unconventional message about gambling: "Don't gamble with dogs' lives."

These top dogs of poker decided to lend their support to The Humane Society of the United States' animal cruelty and fighting campaign after learning about the horrors — and prevalence — of dogfighting in the United States.

"When Howard and I gamble, we do it by choice," said Duke. "Dogs abused for fighting have no choice. They live and die for the gambling and amusement of others. That's the antithesis of what gambling should be."

In a recent ranking by The HSUS, Nevada's dogfighting law was ranked as the weakest in the nation. Such low positioning is due to weak penalties for attending a dogfight coupled with the fact that Nevada is the only state in which possessing dogs for fighting is legal.

"As a person who considers my dog a part of my family, I am appalled that Nevada hasn't taken a stronger stance against the blood sport of dogfighting," said Howard, a Nevada resident. "My goal in speaking out is to help change that."

Spectators of dogfights are willing participants in this crime. Their admission fees and wagers provide the financing that keeps this bloody industry alive. In states that lack felony penalties for dogfighting spectators, dogfighters often blend into the crowd during a raid and escape meaningful punishment. Those attending organized animal fights are not innocent bystanders. Dogfights are often held in secretive locations that require passwords to enter, with only known dogfighters allowed in.

Duke's and Lederer's anti-dogfighting rotating advertisements can be found greeting visitors this summer at the baggage claim area of McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the web at humanesociety.org.