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60 birds confiscated from suspected Mass. cockfighting operation
The birds are being held at an undisclosed location as court proceedings play out.
MSPCA-Angell has seized more than 60 birds from an alleged cockfighting operation in Springfield.
After starting an investigation a few months ago, the MSPCA-Angell investigative team, alongside Massachusetts State Police, executed a warrant at a property on Wednesday, according to a release.
In addition to the birds, investigators also found paraphernalia consistent with cockfighting, including sharp objects that are attached to a rooster’s legs during a fight to cause more serious injuries to its opponent, the MSPCA said.
Cockfighting, which is illegal in the U.S., often results in death or serious injuries to the birds, including punctured lungs, evisceration, broken bones, and eye damage, often for gambling and entertainment purposes, according to the MSPCA.
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“It’s hard to state just how cruel and inhumane these kinds of things are,” MSPCA-Angell Law Enforcement Director Chris Schindler said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, these things are happening in Massachusetts, but they’re underground and clandestine, so it’s incredibly challenging for us to find them,” he continued. “We rely on people to recognize the signs that cockfighting may be happening and to contact us so we can handle it.”
A typical sign of cockfighting is a large number of roosters being housed individually, the MSPCA said.
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The birds are being held at an undisclosed location as court proceedings play. The name(s) of the person or persons allegedly involved in the cockfighting operation were not released.
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