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Click image to watch
the Virginia Cockfighting Footage
(Opens in a New Window)


 

Henry County, Virginia

On June 30th, Virginia's stricter animal-fighting legislation HB 656 / SB 592 took effect, making cockfighting and attending any animal fight a felony.  Last Chance for Animals (LCA) Special Investigation Unit (SIU) supplied Bob Bushnell, Henry County District Attorney, with classified undercover cockfighting video shot in Virginia.  After viewing the LCA video, Bushnell lobbied strongly for the harsher law against animal fighting activities.

Bushnell attributes LCA's undercover work as an essential part of this stricter animal fighting law in Virginia.  "Virginia had been a refuge of cockfighters in the South," said Bushnell, "I am very grateful for the help LCA gave us in getting this legislation toughened."

Carroll County, Virginia

July 2007, LCA contacted the Carroll County Sheriff's Department with information supplied from our SIU team regarding the Copperhead Ridge cockfighting facility in Virginia. Copperhead Ridge is the largest of two cockfighting pits in Virginia, with attendance at over 250 people.

The LCA undercover investigator supplied valuable information that lead to the closure of the facility and the arrest of its owner. According to the Sheriff's Department, they are keeping a close eye on the facility to make sure no further illegal activity is conducted on the premises.

LCA would like to thank the Carroll County Sheriff's Department for their hard work.

Van Buren, Arkansas

Saturday, May 19th, 2007 at 1:30 PM, with information provided by LCA's Special Investigations Unit, 150 law enforcement personnel from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies raided a crowded and popular cockfighting arena near Van Buren, Arkansas.

The raid, which led to over 70 felony charges, is the nation's largest cockfighting bust and arrest in history. Bonds were placed from $10,000 to $25,000. The federal search warrant was issued for 10100 Shiloh Road in Crawford County.

LCA is working to put Arkansas out of the cockfighting business! With cockfighting more stringent in each state, specifically neighboring Oklahoma, fighting is increasing in Arkansas, with large numbers of people crossing the border to fight where misdemeanor charges and small fines only apply. Cockfighting is a breeding ground for organized crime, i.e. drug dealing and gambling. Arkansas is a pivotal state in the fight against cockfighting. The lawmakers must make cockfighting a felony and LCA will continue to provide the necessary investigative work on behalf of all animals.

 

The Fight

“Gamecocks” are specifically bred to fight. Their natural spurs are sawed off, and steel blades called “gaffs” are fitted to their legs. They are placed in a small, enclosed space from which they cannot escape. They are often not permitted to stop fighting until one (or both) of the animals die. The winning birds often have many injuries, including broken bones and gauged out eyes. Large cockfighting pits kill up to 1,000 birds in one weekend.


Gaffs-steel blades attached to roosters legs during cockfight

The Drugs

Given to the birds to increase their aggression and make them more difficult to kill - extending the length and brutality of the fights

  • Steroids

  • Caffeine

  • Strychnine

  • Epinephrine

  • Amphetamines

  • Methamphetamines

Unnatural Aggression

While birds will often fight over food, territory, or mates, such fights usually serve only to establish a pecking order and rarely result in serious injury. In cockfights, however, roosters are bred and drugged to be more aggressive. Moreover, they are forced to fight until a winner is declared, no matter how injured and exhausted they may be.

Criminal Activity and the Threat to Public Safety

  • Cockfighting spectators are typically involved in illegal gambling, betting money that a certain rooster will prevail.

  • Weapons are common at cockfights because of the large amount of cash present.

  • Cockfights are sometimes used as entertainment for gangs.

  • Major drug networks have been tied to animal fighting in several states, and raids on animal fighting operation have resulted in the seizure of large-scale drug operations and revealed underground drug manufacturing labs.

  • Cockfights encourage violence, insensitivity to suffering, and animal cruelty, especially among children.

The Law

  • Cockfighting is illegal in all 50 states and a felony offense in 35 states.

  • Being a spectator at a cockfighting event is illegal in 41 states.

  • The possession of birds for fighting purposes is prohibited in 33 states.

Contact (Meet, Call, Phone, Fax) Your Elected Officials
Your elected officials’ contact information can be found at www.vote-smart.org They need to hear from you.

  • If cockfighting is still a misdemeanor in your state (AL, AR, HI, ID, KS, KY, MS, OH, SC, SD, TN, UT, VA, WV, WY), contact your elected officials and ask that it be made a felony.

  • If your state has not made it illegal to be a spectator at a cockfight (AL, AR, GA, HI, LA, MS, MT, NM, TX), contact to your elected officials and ask them to do so.

  • If your state has not made the possession of birds for fighting illegal (AL, AR, FA, HI, ID, KS, KY, MS, MO, NV, NC, SC, SD, TX, UT, VA), contact your elected officials and ask them to do so.

You Can Help

  • If you suspect cockfighting is occurring in your neighborhood, contact the police immediately

  • Volunteer with a farm animal rescue group.

  • Educate your community about the cruelty inherent in cockfighting. Email volunteers@lcanimal.org for more information.

  • Teach respect for all life.



 


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