Attorney General McCollum Announces Florida Animal Florida Fighting Tip LineTALLAHASSEE — Attorney General Bill McCollum has announced that Floridians can now report animal fighting and be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000 by calling The Humane Society of the United States’ animal fighting tip line at 877-TIP-HSUS (847-4787). The toll-free tip line was first established in Georgia by The HSUS and Atlanta-based corporate security firm Norred & Associates Inc. Because of its success, and with the support of Florida’s Attorney General, the tip line has been expanded to help combat dogfighting and cockfighting in Florida. The HSUS’ Florida animal fighting tip line is anaged by investigators with Norred & Associates and The HSUS. Once tips are authenticated, investigators work with law enforcement agencies to inspect, arrest and prosecute animal fighters. Callers’ identities are protected, and if a caller’s tip leads to the arrest and prosecution of an animal fighter, the caller becomes eligible for a reward of up to $5,000 from The HSUS. The HSUS’ animal fighting tip line was first established in the wake of the Michael Vick case so Georgia residents can easily report illegal animal fighting to authorities. Since its inception in January 2008, the Georgia tip line has received more than 1,000 calls, leading to seven raids and 11 arrests. Last May, the Attorney General announced The HSUS's $5,000 reward program to combat animal fighting in Florida and strongly supports this latest phase in the efforts to find and prosecute those involved in the crime. The HSUS estimates that Florida is one of the top three states in which major dogfighting operations exist.
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