"Following a six-month investigation, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office raided a massive cockfighting complex in Santa Rosa on Wednesday, February 25. There were cages, housing more than 800 roosters, along with other evidence that indicated bird fighting was taking place -- including betting slips and supplements used to condition the birds."
"Cockfighting is illegal in all 50 states, however advocacy groups like Animal Wellness Action say California has some of the weakest penalties in the West despite bans on possessing fighting birds. It says California treats cockfighting crimes typically as only misdemeanor penalties, even as its border states treat staged animal fighting between roosters as felonies."
"Cockfighters have flocked to California because the state has the weakest penalties in the West when it comes to staged animal fighting. We'll see more of these massive complexes like the one in Sonoma County until the state gets serious about cracking down on this malicious cruelty."
Following a six-month investigation, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office raided a large cockfighting complex in Santa Rosa, discovering over 800 roosters in cages along with betting slips and bird conditioning supplements. A 30-year-old Santa Rosa resident was arrested on animal cruelty and bird fighting charges. Despite cockfighting being illegal in all 50 states, California has weaker penalties than neighboring states, typically treating violations as misdemeanors rather than felonies. Animal Wellness Action advocates for stricter enforcement, noting that cockfighters are drawn to California due to its lenient penalties and that stronger legal consequences are necessary to prevent similar large-scale operations.
Read at ABC7 San Francisco
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