With it's publication in the official government newspaper La Gaceta, Costa Rica's dog-fighting ban went into effect last week. The new law clarifies dog fighting as a criminal offense and imposes stricter penalties on those caught organizing fighting rings.
A criminal court in the canton of Desamparados, south of San José, last week ordered a man whose identity was not disclosed to pay ₡105,000 ($200) for organizing dogfights on his property. Yes, a whopping $200. But he also signed a paper promising not to do it again.
Park authorities confirmed on Thursday that three hunters ignited the fire that burned roughly 1,000 hectares of land inside Palo Verde National Park in the northwestern province of Guanacaste.
