18 USC § 49 - Enforcement of animal fighting prohibitions

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t18/s49"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "18 USC § 49 - Enforcement of animal fighting prohibitions"
title_number: 18
title_name: "CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE"
section_number: "49"
section_name: "Enforcement of animal fighting prohibitions"
chapter_number: 3
chapter_name: "ANIMALS, BIRDS, FISH, AND PLANTS"
part_number: "I"
part_name: "CRIMES"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-21"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 110–22, § 2(a), May 3, 2007, 121 Stat. 88; amended Pub. L. 110–234, title XIV, § 14207(b), May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1462; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title XIV, § 14207(b), June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 2224; Pub. L. 113–79, title XII, § 12308(b)(2), Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 991; Pub. L. 115–334, title XII, § 12616(d), Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 5016.)"
---


# § 49. Enforcement of animal fighting prohibitions

**(a)** **In General.—** Whoever violates subsection (a)(1), (b), (c), or (d) of section 26 of the Animal Welfare Act shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both, for each violation.

**(b)** **Attending an Animal Fighting Venture.—** Whoever violates subsection (a)(2)(A) of section 26 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2156) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 1 year, or both, for each violation.

**(c)** **Causing an Individual Who Has Not Attained the Age of 16 To Attend an Animal Fighting Venture.—** Whoever violates subsection (a)(2)(B) of section 26 (7 U.S.C. 2156) of the Animal Welfare Act shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 3 years, or both, for each violation.

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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 110–22, § 2(a), May 3, 2007, 121 Stat. 88; amended Pub. L. 110–234, title XIV, § 14207(b), May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1462; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title XIV, § 14207(b), June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 2224; Pub. L. 113–79, title XII, § 12308(b)(2), Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 991; Pub. L. 115–334, title XII, § 12616(d), Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 5016.)

## Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 26 of the Animal Welfare Act, referred to in text, is , Agriculture.

### Codification

and  made identical amendments to this section. The amendments by  were repealed by .

### Amendments

2018—Subsec. (a).  substituted “(d)” for “(e)”.

2014— designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, substituted “subsection (a)(1),” for “subsection (a),”, and added subsecs. (b) and (c).

2008—, substituted “5 years” for “3 years”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2018 Amendment

Amendment by  effective on the date that is one year after , see , set out as a note under , Agriculture.

### Effective Date of 2008 Amendment

Amendment of this section and repeal of  by  effective , the date of enactment of , see , set out as an Effective Date note under , Agriculture.