Birds Rescued in Cockfighting Sting Euthanized "On The Spot"
Image courtesy of the Humane Society
A raid on a suspected cockfighting ring operating out of a Snohomish home over the weekend ended in 17 arrests--and 59 deaths, say authorities at the Seattle Animal Shelter.
The birds, who had been bred to fight and would likely have been killed anyway, were, according to officials, too violent to be saved. And, according to a KOMO report, the roosters weren't even removed from the home--they were "euthanized on the spot."
According to the Seattle Times, a spokesperson from the Seattle Humane Society noted that there had been multiple inquiries about the status of the roosters, and even some interest in attempting to rescue them. However, the US Humane Society, who works to prevent cockfighting, rarely attempts to rehabilitate the birds, and recommends that those roosters recovered in cockfighting raids be euthanized at the time of the raid.
There have been no statements made yet about how the birds are killed, or who does performs the euthanasia.
Roosters, which rarely fight seriously on their own, are specially bred and inhumanely treated to create violent tendencies, and then often outfitted with razors and knives on their legs to ensure the death of one or both of the bird involved in a cockfight. Cockfights are always fought until the death, and even when the birds don't die, they may still suffer broken bones, punctured lungs, and major abrasions.
Court documents filed yesterday indicate that, in addition to the raid, the resident of the property that was involved is under further investigation for involvement in additional cockfighting circuits--which means that in Snohomish County alone, there may be dozens or even hundreds more birds, just waiting to be euthanized.
Most of the individuals arrested will face felony charges. Washington State is one of 39 states that consider cockfighting to be a felony.
