In response to Steve Bannon’s description of the “Gameness” curriculum he has been pursuing in Italy, which he outlined on the June 9 episode of “Axios on HBO,” Lisa LaFontaine, President and CEO of the Humane Rescue Alliance, issued the following response:

“Bannon’s comments about ‘gameness’ are grossly out of line with the values of the hundreds of millions of Americans who love and appreciate animals. Dogfighting is a barbaric blood sport, with the victims enduring unimaginable pain and suffering as entertainment for the sadistic. Casually referring to an animal having her arm chewed off after being forced into a dogfight in an attempt to be clever or glib is beyond deplorable.

At the Humane Rescue Alliance, we have a zero tolerance policy for dogfighting, and are committed to putting an end to this cruelty in the District and beyond.”