Ensure Dog-fighting Ring-leader Gets Harsh Sentence for Animal Cruelty

Please sign and share this petition in an effort to ensure that a dog-fighting ring-leader by the name of Edward Bishop be fully held accountable with severe punishment for charges of animal cruelty. He was busted earlier this year but now pleads not guilty! We cannot let this guy get off after such horrific findings and animal cruelty. He needs to be sentenced accordingly to the fullest extent of the law!

Mr. Edward "Boo" Bishop, 52 of Buffalo, New York was arrested earlier this year for running a dog-fighting ring, as officials stated he was the mastermind behind this dog-fighting enterprise. Animal advocate and attorney Albert stated that “We’re here to, basically in support of Buffalo Police, in support of the task force. To basically ensure that now that we’re at this point, that Bishop is prosecuted to the full extent of the law. That he gets prison time, not probation, not anything else, not what he got last time around."

What is astounding is that Mr. Bishop was also accused of dog fighting back in 2009, sponsoring a fight again in 2010 with minimal sentencing of 30 days in jail and additional time with electronic monitoring. Governments do nothing to stop this type of cruelty as they turn a blind eye to what really is going on; and now Mr. Bishop is back at it again and actually believes he did nothing wrong and should not charged.

In this current incident, police found seven pit bulls, some with scarring on their faces, at his Hewitt Avenue property. Inside the house were “four treadmills, drugs, an IV bag, syringes, dietary supplements, break sticks, a ‘spring pole,’ training harness, heavy chains, animal fighting literature and dog breeding documents." In addition to the animal cruelty, Mr. Bishop is also accused of unlawfully imprisoning a man on and off for two years to force him to participate in the dog fighting ring, taking care of the dogs and property.The man told officers that when he tried to leave about seven months ago, Bishop broke his arm in two places; he has been unable to leave the house or seek medical attention for several medical issues.

Mr. Bishop faced charges of animal fighting for amusement, unlawful imprisonment, reckless endangerment, second-degree assault and criminal possession of controlled substance (cocaine). Now he pleads not guilty and not doubt would be back on the streets in dog-fighting business in no time! If current charges stand and he is convicted, Mr. Bishop could get what he really deserves - up to 28 years in state prison. Please sign and share this petition in an effort to ensure that a dog-fighting ring-leader by the name of Edward Bishop be fully held accountable with severe punishment for charges of animal cruelty. He was busted earlier this year but now pleads not guilty! We cannot let this guy get off after such horrific findings and animal cruelty. He needs to be sentenced accordingly to the fullest extent of the law!