Miles still paws furiously at the gate of his kennel and lashes out at strangers that pass by more than a year after surviving dogfighting.

The 4-year-old pit bull mix was found tied to a fence at the CSRA Humane Society more than a year ago snappy, scared and scarred, said Raynette Mayer, the president of the group's board of directors.

"He's been taught to defend his turf as a fighting dog," she said. "They probably left him because he couldn't fight anymore. He will most likely stay at the shelter for the rest of his life."

Most canines that are victims of dogfighting are often abandoned or killed, Ms. Mayer said.

Those who own, transport or sell dogs for fighting will now be guilty of a felony under House Bill 301, signed by Gov. Sonny Perdue on Tuesday. The legislation will also make attending dogfights a misdemeanor.

Previously, only those caught in the act of dogfighting were charged with a felony, Perdue spokesman Bert Brantley said.

"It was hard to pen people unless you were there to see it," Mr. Brantley said. "There's some people who train, some fight, some bet. This widens the law to catch all those involved."

The stricter laws aim to crack down on the underground society of dogfighting that involves more than 250,000 dogs each year, according to the Humane Society of the United States.

Ms. Mayer said she believes a misdemeanor is too light of a charge for spectators.

"I think all of it should be considered a felony," she said. "A person who likes to see two animals tear each other apart, that person scares me."

The penalty for fighting dogs could range from a $5,000 fine to more than a year in prison, said Richmond County Sheriff Ronnie Strength.

Though his deputies handle about 10 calls a year on dogfighting, he said they likely don't track down all dogfighting events.

Sheriff Strength said he hopes the public will continue to provide leads in uncovering dogfighting rings.

The increased punishment is still not enough for the people who in some cases electrocute and hang dogs for poor performance, said Elaine van der Linden, the founder of Molly's Militia, a pet rescue center in North Augusta. The recent conviction of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick for dogfighting likely sparked the change in the law, she said.

"I don't think the sentence he got was nearly enough," she said of Mr. Vick's 23-month prison sentence. "If you'll hurt an animal like that, what else are you capable of?"

Making the laws even tougher will require politicians at the national level to take a stand for animal rights, Ms. van der Linden said.

Miles is an example of what happens to dogs that survive dogfighting, Ms. Mayer said. He cannot play with other dogs and spends most of his day isolated. He has become more comfortable with certain volunteers, but he still faces challenges.

"It's really hard to adopt dogs in his state," Ms. Mayer said. "He may never be able to come out to society."

RAINIER EHRHARDT/STAFF