Michael Vartan, Shannon Elizabeth, Corey Feldman and other celebs anted up with the Humane Society of the United States on Saturday night to draw awareness to an important cause: dogfighting. With its "End Dogfighting" campaign just launched in Los Angeles, the HSUS is working hard to stop the mistreatment of animals used in the illegal sport, and brought the stars out for a poker tournament in Los Angeles to spotlight the cause.
"End Dogfighting" is a grassroots program that strives to stop dogfighting before it starts by teaching at-risk youths to treat their pit bulls as friends, not fighters. The program has already been implemented successfully in some of Chicago's roughest neighborhoods.
"I have a passion for animals," said Vartan, dad to Labrador Millie. "Dogfighting is an obnoxious and heinous activity. There is no place in this day and age for this kind of cruelty."
Although illegal in all 50 states, the HSUS estimates that as many as 40,000 people in the U.S. are professional dogfighters, with as many as 100,000 involved in informal streetfighting. The problem is especially rampant in the Los Angeles area.
James Costa, vice chair of the HSUS National Council, shared, "When I visited Los Angeles animal shelters, they were overflowing with abandoned and injured pit bulls, with little chance of adoption. I knew immediately that I had to embrace this cause."
To help, visit the HSUS Web site.
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