Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Aldermen Tuesday could crack down on dogfighting as a form of animal abuse, shortly after an arrest that included the discovery of both injured and dead dogs on the accused man’s property.

The crime could carry a $10,000 fine.

Ald. Erin Conley. speaking at the Feb. 24 Committee of the Whole meeting, endorsed the idea. “This sends a very strong message that it’s not acceptable. A $10,000 fine is the message that we need to see,” said Conley. “It was an egregious case, and these penalties reflect that.”

For Ald. Roy Williams, it was another chance to bring up his dissatisfaction with the performance of Sangamon County Animal Control, which the city has long contracted. “The contract’s coming up,” said Williams, “and it’s egregious when they don’t respond to our citizens about dangerous dogs as well, so we need to be thinking about how we are going to handle that instead of just blessing them with the contract.”