The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), in partnership with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), today announced a new online course to help law enforcement and animal welfare professionals better detect, investigate, and take action against dogfighting.

The course, Combating Dogfighting, was developed by the ASPCA with COPS funding as a two-hour, two-part curriculum.  Part one offers a comprehensive overview of dogfighting issues in the United States, while the second part provides information and resources on effective response, investigation, and enforcement.

"We are pleased to support the development of an easily accessible resource that will help communities throughout the country more effectively crackdown on dogfighting," says COPS Director Bernard K. Melekian. "Dogfighting on its own, or when linked to other illicit activities, is a crime that truly harms a community and contributes to a sense of lawlessness that cannot be tolerated."

"Dogfighting is a multi-million-dollar criminal enterprise that leads to the inhumane treatment and deaths of thousands of dogs nationwide each year," says Dr. Randall Lockwood, ASPCA Senior Vice President of Forensic Sciences and Anti-Cruelty Projects. "A dogfighting investigation requires many of the same skills and resources as an undercover narcotics investigation, and it can be extremely difficult for law enforcement professionals to investigate this highly secretive enterprise. The ASPCA is hopeful that our partnership with the Department of Justice will help combat dogfighting and bring more cases to light."

Combating Dogfighting is a free resource open to all law enforcement and animal welfare professionals. Additional details about the training, including registration information and a short clip of the course, can be found at www.aspcapro.org/cops .