Odd little brown patches could be spotted all across the grounds of a property in Wisconsin when our Animal Rescue Team arrived on Thursday last week. These were the bodies of dead chicks. And this was just the first chilling sight our team members had as they arrived to assist Clark County law enforcement officials after the sheriff’s office had served a search warrant.
The roosters who were alive were disfigured: many had missing toes and one rooster was missing both feet. Many of the birds’ fleshy waddles and combs were cut off, and the birds looked out from their individual cages, where they were isolated from one another.
Jenn Ackerman/AP Content Services for Humane World for Animals
One transport box appeared to be stained with blood and short knives were also found, along with other forms of paraphernalia consistent with the raising and conditioning of birds for cockfighting.
It is immensely difficult to rehome birds who have been raised in cockfighting operations. Because cockfighting can also pose a significant risk of spreading avian disease, including highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1, the maimed and disfigured birds were seized, taken from the property and humanely euthanized. Such a sad end to their lives—but one that, at the very least, was painless—would have never happened were it not for cockfighting, a grisly crime that still brings a glorification of violence to too many communities all across the U.S.
Cockfighting is a crime in every state and a felony in 42 states—but there are determined efforts by corruptive groups to decriminalize cockfighting, which is associated with the spread of other kinds of violence throughout communities.
Jenn Ackerman/AP Content Services for Humane World for Animals
The connection between cockfighting and crime
Cockfighting isn’t just animal cruelty; case after case shows that cockfighting is also a gateway to organized, dangerous crime. Beyond the blood-soaked pits lies a largely hidden world of lawlessness where violence against animals and people alike converge, and where cruelty is not just normalized, but celebrated. Those who revel in the spectacle of animals tearing each other apart for entertainment are typically not just bystanders; they are frequently engaged in a broader network of crime.
Law enforcement agencies have repeatedly uncovered ties between cockfighting and very serious crimes: weapons trafficking, money laundering, bribery of public officials and even homicide. In the darkest corners of these investigations, authorities have discovered evidence that participants engaged in truly horrifying offenses, such as child exploitation and sexual abuse.
Drug trafficking, which can have a devastating impact on communities, has also been found intertwined with cockfighting. For example, in the U.S.:
- In Texas, Drug Enforcement Administration agents investigating a large methamphetamine operation discovered hundreds of abused roosters. The traffickers even referred to bundles of meth as “roosters,” linking the drug trade directly to animal fighting.
- In Washington, a DEA investigation led to the arrest of 34 individuals involved in a multi-state criminal enterprise tied to cockfighting. Agents seized illegal firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, pound quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine, over 8,000 fentanyl-laced pills, and hundreds of fighting roosters. Some of the individuals arrested had even attempted to have those who cooperated with law enforcement killed.
- In California, a drug raid targeting a methamphetamine and heroin trafficking network revealed over 250 roosters and extensive cockfighting equipment on the property.
The surprising reason cockfighting laws are so hard to pass in the U.S.
Most people assume passing strong laws against organized animal fighting would be a no-brainer. Surely, we all agree that two birds should not be strapped with knives so that they can rip each other’s intestines out while a crowd cheers on the sidelines. The reality, though, is that not enough people know the extent to which this violence continues to occur, likely in or somewhere not too far away from their community. And these animals suffer greatly—they feel incredible pain and real terror. They fight because they are desperate not to die. Members of our team have found roosters who have just come out of pits where they were forced to fight and have held the birds in their arms while they died, their little hearts racing, choking on blood and gasping for air.
Jenn Ackerman/AP Content Services for Humane World for Animals
Those who recognize the wrongs of cockfighting and the ruin it brings to communities are up against opposition with disturbing wealth, power and political influence at the highest levels of state government. Imagine a world in which dogfighters form political action committees, donate to politicians’ campaigns, host fundraisers, testify against bills, and show up to the state capital by the hundreds. That’s exactly what’s happening in the world of cockfighting, and tens of millions of birds in this country are paying the price for it.
In many states across the U.S., vocal groups of cockfighting proponents have developed strong relationships with lawmakers. These individuals are often well-organized, well-funded and aggressive in their lobbying tactics with a stated goal of legalizing cockfighting and trafficking birds for fighting. Dozens of lawmakers have even received campaign contributions from individuals or organizations with known ties to cockfighting interests.
Passing stronger cockfighting laws requires exposing the truth behind the opposition. Lawmakers and the public need to understand who is really behind the opposition—and what’s really at stake. Every time a bill that would help to crack down on cockfighting fails, communities are exposed to the criminal networks that fuel and profit from the violence inflicted on animals.
Over the past year, legislation to prohibit breeding, training, and trafficking birds for fighting was introduced in Kentucky, Georgia and North Carolina, and a bill to increase penalties was introduced in Texas. While progress was made in Georgia and Texas, every bill failed to pass. The bills were never even given consideration in Kentucky and North Carolina. Worse still, we faced (and defeated) bills in Oklahoma and Arkansas that sought to decriminalize large swaths of cockfighting.
On a good note, Maryland passed a bill to address large game fowl yards by prohibiting any rooster from being tethered or caged alone—a common practice for cockfighters. California is also attempting to get the massive number of illegal breeding operations in the state under control by limiting the number of adult gamecocks a person can have.
It’s time for all lawmakers to be transparent, accountable and courageous enough to put an end to cockfighting. After all, ensuring that the law reflects the interests and values of most Americans is what they should do.
