The University of South Carolina's mascot is a gamecock. Ironically, the animal bestowed with the honor of representing USC is treated much less honorably elsewhere in the state.

Throughout South Carolina, a person caught forcing one of these birds into a fight to the death with another rooster is guilty of a mere misdemeanor. The absolute maximum for this crime -- in which a rooster can have his eyes gouged out, his lungs punctured and his life ended -- is an almost meaningless $100 fine and a 30-day jail term. In a "sport" where a winner can walk away with $15,000 earnings in a single night, a $100 fine is just a minor cost of doing business.

The South Carolina Legislature is now considering a bill that would make cockfighting a felony. This legislation is needed to give law enforcement and prosecutors the tools to stop this violent and cruel activity. Thirty-one states already recognize cockfighting as a felony, including Florida and Georgia. In North Carolina the penalty for cockfighting is 10 times stronger than it is in South Carolina; in Tennessee, it is 25 times stronger. It is no surprise then that South Carolina is fast becoming a haven for illegal cockfighting.

On any weekend night throughout the state, roosters are being outfitted with razor-sharp knives or ice-pick like gaffs and injected with adrenaline-boosting drugs. A shot of strychnine will give a gamecock a boost of energy and constrict his blood vessels enough to reduce blood loss and delay the onset of shock, giving a fighting cock the edge he needs to survive long enough to kill his opponent. Cockfighters in South Carolina are serious about their bloody activity.

Consider the recent scandal that broke after South Carolina's former Agriculture Commissioner, Charles Sharpe, pleaded guilty to accepting a $10,000 payoff from cockfighters in return for protecting them from law enforcement. The pit, located in Aiken County, was well-known for holding illegal animal fights. But the cockfighters didn't count on the refusal of others within state government to turn a blind eye. They didn't count on the fact that there are good people within the Legislature ready to take a stand against this violent blood sport.

Leading the legislative charge against illegal cockfighting in the state is Rep. David Wilkins. As speaker of the House, Wilkins has introduced legislation (H. 3344) to increase the penalties for the crime of cockfighting from a misdemeanor to a felony. The Humane Society of the United States applauds Speaker Wilkins for his efforts to set meaningful penalties for this crime.

Likewise, Attorney General Henry McMaster, who organized a state task force that has already put several dog fighting rings out of business, has shown himself to be a man of decency and honor. McMaster has led the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division in its successful crackdown on dog and hog-dog fighting, demonstrating the strong benefit of felony laws against these barbaric activities.

With passage of the pending bill, South Carolina will be poised to continue this momentum which could cripple the state's cockfighting industry.

Animal fighters have had their golden years in South Carolina, but thanks to men like Speaker Wilkins and Attorney General McMaster leading the charge, we may be seeing the grim era of underground animal fighting coming to an end.

With a push from the public toward others within the state Legislature, we can send the animal fighting underworld to the dustbins of history once and for all. Passage of H. 3344 should be a top priority for anyone who cares about protecting animals from cruelty in South Carolina.

John Goodwin is deputy manager for animal fighting issues at The Humane Society.