AR-News: Kentucky Car Dealer Drops Cockfight Promotion

[Political Animal]

Everyone,

Your calls paid off!  Please let those you forwarded
yesterday's message to know that their efforts are
much appreciated and were very helpful.
-----

Lexington Herald Leader
March 26, 2004

HUMANE SOCIETY CRITICIZES SUPPORT OF 'COCKFIGHTERS'

By Greg Kocher
CENTRAL KENTUCKY BUREAU

NICHOLASVILLE - The dealership "where price sells
cars" came under fire from The Humane Society of the
United States for placing an ad in a gamefowl magazine
that expresses support to a group suspected of
promoting cockfighting.

Toyota on Nicholasville Superstore issued a statement
yesterday saying that its management "made a terrible
mistake" in supporting the Kentucky Gamefowl Breeders
Association -- a group that the humane society says is
"a group of cockfighters" with a "record of promoting
the inhumane and barbaric practice of instigated
animal fighting."

"The ownership of Toyota on Nicholasville does not
support this group's activities and has immediately
demanded that its management and employees cease any
association with this organization," said the
statement from S&M Automotive LLC, which does business
as Toyota on Nicholasville. "No funding will be
submitted to the KYGBA by Toyota on Nicholasville."

Since 2000, an investor group that includes University
of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino, former UK
player Jamal Mashburn and others has owned 70 percent
of Toyota on Nicholasville and The Lexus Store of
Lexington on U.S. 27 in Nicholasville.

At issue was the dealership's ad in this month's issue
of a gamefowl trade magazine called The Feathered
Warrior. The ad offers a $500 discount on a car or
truck purchased from the dealership to members of the
Kentucky Gamefowl Breeders Association.

In addition, the ad said Toyota on Nicholasville will
donate $100 to a national group called the United
Gamefowl Breeders Association for each car or truck
sold. "All you have to do is mention this ad and be a
member of the UGBA!"

"Toyota on Nicholasville is a proud member of the
Kentucky Gamefowl Breeders Association and the United
Gamefowl Breeders Association," the ad said. "We
believe that it is our duty to support the
organizations that fight to keep alive the freedoms we
enjoy."

The ad pictures Toyota on Nicholasville's logo as well
as three vehicles. The bottom of the ad includes the
names of Mike Fairchild and Tyson McCauley, who are
each listed as "sales manager." Fairchild is listed as
a "KYGBA director"; McCauley has "KYGBA" and "UGBA"
beneath his name. McCauley is the son of General
Manager Ron McCauley, who appears in TV commercials to
recite the company motto: "Where price sells cars."

Brooks Downing, who issued the written statement for
S&M Automotive, said Fair-child is not an employee of
the dealership or its ownership group.

"He's just a friend, I believe, of Tyson," Downing
said. "He is not a sales manager at all, or even an
employee. We didn't know who he was."

The humane society said it sent an e-mail to "tens of
thousands" of its members yesterday calling on
Toyota's national headquarters to stop the
Nicholasville dealer "from funding cockfighting
activities."

"It's a threat to Toyota's name and reputation," said
Wayne Pacelle, senior vice president for The Humane
Society of the United States. "The question is, what's
next? Dog fighting?"

Cockfighting is illegal in Kentucky and carries
penalties of up to a year in jail and a $500 fine for
those convicted of the misdemeanor charge of
participating in or watching a cockfight. Cockfighting
also is illegal in 47 other states. In a cockfight,
two roosters fight to the death as they slice each
other with small knives or gaffs affixed to their
legs.

Pacelle said the humane society learned of the ad
because members of the group subscribe to The
Feathered Warrior "under assumed names, essentially,"
and monitor its content.

The magazine has been published since 1903, according
to its owner and editor, Verna Dowd of DeQueen, Ark.
She acknowledged yesterday that the ad appeared in her
publication, but she hadn't heard anything about the
criticism of an advertiser by the humane society.

"But it doesn't surprise me, because they'll do
anything they can to get a little publicity, you
know," Dowd said.

Dowd said the humane society has never criticized an
advertiser before. "But they'll harass everybody that
they think has anything at all to do with raising
gamefowl, whether they fight them or not," she said.

Mike Michaels, spokesman for Toyota's national sales
headquarters in Torrance, Calif., said the 1,400
Toyota dealerships across the United States are
privately owned and responsible for their own
advertising and marketing programs.

In its statement, the dealership said it "supports the
humane treatment of all animals and now will enact
measures to support the Humane Society's mission to
make a difference in the lives of animals everywhere."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 


__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time.
http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html