Last week's ban on hog-dog fighting by Alabama should serve as a reminder to the South Carolina House to get busy strengthening this state's laws. Participants in this ugly blood sport shouldn't be allowed to slip through loopholes.

Hog-dogging is an ugly gambling event where spectators watch trained dogs attack wild hogs in pens. An Associated Press report on the Alabama ban notes that hog-dog "rodeos" have pit bulls take on wild hogs, with their tusks removed. "Over the course of one event or rodeo, 50 dogs or more will be put in the ring with hogs and the dog with the best time at catching the hog wins," according to that report.

Evidently, the "sport" contains some of the worst features of dog fighting, which also is illegal in South Carolina. What's needed are stronger clamps on blood sports, including a forfeiture provision that has long been advocated by Attorney General Henry McMaster.

A hog-dogging bill has passed the Senate. Authored by Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Berkeley, it includes forfeiture language along with a clearer definition of hog-dogging, to distinguish that event from legitimate field trials.

Sen. Grooms emphasized that activities related to the legitimate training of dogs to hunt feral swine would not be affected by the bill.

The growing popularity of hog-dog fighting has encouraged three Gulf states to ban it. The laxity of laws in South Carolina are encouraging the movement of hog-dogging events from other states to South Carolina, according to Sen. Grooms. His bill has been approved by the Senate and has been sitting in a House committee for nearly a month. It deserves approval this session.