It is illegal to conduct cockfights and any person who permits cockfighting on any premises under his or her charge or control, and any person who aids or abets cockfighting is subject to prosecution. It is illegal to be a spectator. It is illegal to raise or be in possession of fighting birds and gaffs or slashes used for fighting. Of course, if animals are harmed, animal cruelty and neglect charges can be filed. Illegal gambling is associated with cockfights as well as drug dealing, illegal firearms, and other serious crimes.
Cockfighting, and the raising and training of fighting cocks, occur in many urban communities. It is very common for law enforcement to come upon a location where cockfighting-related activities are present, but due to the secretive nature of the sport, no cockfighting is observed. Consequently, just as in dogfighting cases, it is important that prosecutors and investigating officers be familiar with the paraphernalia and the activities associated with cockfighting. Something as common as a piece of string or carpeting is a very valuable piece of evidence.
“Sparring muffs” are used to cover the roosters’ spurs so the roosters can be fought without injuring each other. “Sparring” is a common way of training roosters as they are prepared and conditioned during their “keep,” the training period prior to a fight. “Syringes” and “injectable medications” are commonly used by persons involved in cockfighting to inject the roosters with vitamins, coagulants, and steroids.
Enclosures
Due to the aggression of roosters trained to fight, the roosters have to be maintained without direct contact with one another so they cannot cause each other injury. Each of these roosters had been “dubbed,” i.e., their combs, wattles, and earlobes had been removed. The dubbing is usually done with scissors without the use of anesthesia. Cockfighters normally dub their roosters to lower the bird’s overall body weight and because injury during a fight to any of these locations can cause profuse bleeding. The roosters had the natural spurs on their legs cut to about a half-inch stump. It is on these stumps that “gaffs” or “slashers” are attached to the bird’s leg. The officers also observed that the roosters’ feathers had been plucked, called “cutting out,” where feathers in certain areas are plucked out to lower the rooster’s body weight prior to a fight. The officers also saw perforated “cardboard boxes” used by cockfighters to transport roosters to and from fighting locations.
