HSUS Investigation Leads to Fifty Arrests in Cockfight Raid

WellBeing International WBI Studies Repository

6-1978

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Recommended Citation "HSUS Investigation Leads to Fifty Arrests in Cockfight Raid" (1978). Close Up Reports. 8. https://www.wellbeingintlstudiesrepository.org/cu_reps/8

This material is brought to you for free and open access by WellBeing International. It has been accepted for inclusion by an authorized administrator of the WBI Studies Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. HumaneThe Sg~l~!Y CLOSE- UP REPORT HSUS INVESTIGATION LEADS TO FIFTY ARRESTS IN COCKFIGHT RAID to breeding, raising, conditioning and tally wounded. The average life span of a Participants Fined equipping their gamecocks, and will travel gamecock is short; a bird that makes it great distances to fight them. through even six fights alive is considered Up to $500 In truth, these birds are bred and raised exceptional. only to cut and slash one another to death Centuries of breeding for maximum ag Fifty people have been arrested and to provide a bloody spectacle for a cheering gressiveness has accentuated this quality in found guilty under California cruelty crowd. The affection cockers claim for gamecocks. They are man-made killers, statutes as spectators or participants at a their "pets" is reserved for the winners. and man is to blame for carefully breeding cockfight as a result of an undercover in Losers are objects for contempt and in the extreme aggressiveness and instinct to vestigation conducted by The Humane disgust. Worst of all is the occasional fight that will eventually lead them to a Society of the United States. rooster that would rather run than fight. bloody and painful death. Fifteen of those arrested pled guilty to This is humiliating for its handler, and Cockers frequently try to justify their charges of participating in the event. They usually earns the rooster a speedy death at sport by saying the birds are "natural ~ceived fines ranging from $95 to $515, the the hands of its supposedly loving owner. fighters," ignoring the fact that it is man's 1naximum possible under the law. The rest A cockfight may last up to twenty meddling with nature that has made them were given citations as spectators at the minutes, and by the end of it at least one, this way. • fight, and were fined from $95 to $350. and sometimes both, birds are dead or mor- The gamecock's method of fighting is to Those arrested included several juveniles, Continued on page 3 most of whom were brought to the cockfight by their parents. Because cockfighting is illegal in Califor nia, cockfights are held in the strictest secrecy. An HSUS undercover informant, posing as a cockfighting enthusiast, manag ed to win the confidence of some members of the cockfighting fraternity near Sacramento, California. After several months of undercover work, he was finally invited to a major Derby meet on Sunday, April 23rd. He immediately began ar rangements to have the fight raided and participants arrested. Three members of the HSUS Investigations Department, Frantz Dantzler, Phil Steward, and Marc Paulhus, flew to California to set up the raid. (The full story of the investigations and police work behind the raid is on page 2 of this report.)

Cruelty Disguised as Sport

Cockfighting has a large, mostly underground following in the United States. Cockers, as lovers of this "sport" call themselves, claim great affection for One of the live game cocks confiscated in the cockfight raid. His comb has been ~t of! in their gallant fighting roosters. They are preparation for the fight, so it cannot be a target for the other rooster. Forty-four live brrds willing to pour large amounts of money in- were found in carrying cases after the raid. Steward, Paulhus, and our undercover handlers showed little concern about being fly into the air and come down on its oppo tween unproven cocks. agent. Only high level officials knew caught. They talked about minor citations nent with the spurs, or claws, on the backs A table with a set of scales served as a the details of the raid. This was and small fines. of its legs. Here again cockers have seen fit check-in point before the fights. Each cock agreed to early in the investiga Our investigator was one of the first peo t0 improve on nature by equipping their was carefully weighed and matched with tion to insure against possible ple arrested. He was then led to a vantage ls with one to three inch steel gaffs. another cock as close to its weight as possi "leaks." point where he proceeded to tell the ar 1 nese long, curved bayonets are attached ble. For a Derby event, the fighting cocks A plan had been established resting officer who were the handlers and over the cock's own trimmed spurs with must weigh within two ounces of each for the raid. HSUS Investiga who were the spectators. He later confirm tape or dental floss. A good pair of gaffs other. tors Dantzler, Steward, and ed these identifications using mug shots at may cost as much as $60, but the price is Off to one side was a beer keg and hot Paulhus were to follow the the Sheriff's office. worth it to the cocker because they enable dog stand, evidence that these fights were cockers and pinpoint the Once the arrests were made, HSUS In his rooster to pierce the brain or tear open supposed to be part of a pleasant after actual site. Using walkie vestigators Dantzler, Steward, and Paulhus the breast of its opponent in one strike. noon's entertainment. talkies, headlight signals, began the tedious process of photographing The gamecocks also suffer as their combs Men were charged a five dollar admission and roadside telephone booths, and documenting the evidence. This includ are cut off in a painful operation. This to the event. Women and children got in HSUS Investigators successfully ed live as well as dead gamecocks, gaffs, makes them less prone to certain types of free. Cockers are anxious to insure the con trailed the cocker caravan. drugs, and cash. During the raid, mari diseases. More important to the cocker is tinuation of their sport, and encourage the THE The cockfight site was in a secluded hilly juana was discovered at the scene. All of that the absence of the comb leaves one less Watching birds die is pleasant entertain training of children in the raising and the evidence was logged and transported to target for the opposing cock to seize upon. ment to the cocker, as evidenced by the handling of gamecocks. area near Placerville, California. The cars presence of a refreshment stand. were parked about 500 feet from the pit site the Sheriff's office. Cockfighting enthusiasts see nothing Nine Derby fights and a number of which was a cleared out hollow between wrong or cruel in their activities. To them, transporting and selling of gamecocks for hackfights took place before the police ar RAID ... some low hills. a cockfight is an occasion to bring the fami breeding purposes. rived. Eleven birds died, and were uncere Among the first things our investigator ly, have a picnic, bet a little (or a Jot) of moniously tossed in the bushes. The birds noticed were the horseback riders who he money, and have some fun watching Blood and Money are not required to fight to the death, and a Unlike the crime shows we see on TV, later learned had been hired to scout the chickens die with cut chests, pierced eyes, cocker may remove his fowl from the pit at this case and its culmination, the raid, took hills for police. Our agent continued to play and broken wings in a small, blood HSUS' informant watched the California any time and forfeit the match. Most several months to develop. The HSUS his part by betting on fights, adding money spattered ring. Derby meet for two hours before it was cockers prefer to leave their bird in the undercover investigator had to infiltrate the to the purse, and pretending to enjoy the To humanitarians, the cruelty is so ob raided. He noted who was a spectator and fight, even if it is obviously unable or un ranks of the northern California cockers, events. vious that cockfighting has been made il who actually participated in the event. willing to fight back due to its injuries. This become a trusted "buddy," and be invited The actual raid was over in minutes. legal in every state but Arizona, Kansas, What he saw was fairly typical of kind of cruelty is unnecessary even by the to several backyard cockfights before he Thanks to the California Highway Patrol Oklahoma, and New Mexico. When the cockfights. rules of the cocker's own game, but it il was allowed to become a spectator at a ma helicopter the handlers and spectators who Animal Welfare Act was passed in 1976, The site chosen for the Derby had been lustrates the cocker's apparent delight at jor Derby. attempted to flee were soon rounded up. HSUS urged that cockfighting be outlawed. provided with two canvas-walled pits, the bloodshed and suffering of the roosters. Unlike the TV shows, the drama and the The only one to get away was the property Jbying by cockfighting proponents where the birds would fight. The larger pit Gambling is one of the major attractions danger were very real! In the back of our owner. He has since given himself up to the Icsulted in a compromise whereby was the Derby pit, the scene of the main of a cockfight, and HSUS' informant saw a undercover agent's mind were the two police. cockfighting became a federal offense only fights. When the main fight got to the point lot of money changing hands in main bets California humane officers who disap The timing of the helicopter and arrival in those states that had passed state laws where neither of the birds was dead, but between the bird's owners, and side bets peared in 1976 while they were investigating of the sheriff's deputies was perfect. In the against the so-called sport. Transporting one or the other was too injured to fight ac among the spectators. After the arrest, cockfighting. confusion, handlers were tossing dead the birds across state lines for the purpose tively, they would be removed to the more than $4000 was found in the posses Our undercover investigator's initial en chickens and paraphernalia into of fighting also became a federal offense. smaller Drag pit to finish the fight. The sion of various members of the crowd. This Spectators and handlers are led up the hill However, a loop-hole in the law allows the Drag pit was also used for hackfights be- tree to the inner circle of cockers was a the underbrush. According to our in in groups of five so that our undercover was certainly more than was needed to pur- teenage boy. This youngster raised and il vestigator, many of the spectators and agent can "finger" the handlers. legally fought gamecocks with the full knowledge of his parents. The drama that was to put a damper on cockfighting in northern California began at the boy's home at 5 am on a Saturday morning. Our undercover agent met the boy at his house. They then proceeded to the house of a handler. Several carloads of people gathered at the house and proceeded caravan style to the next stop. More handlers and spectators joined in and the caravan left for the secret site. Our agent had made contact with the boy's father the previous night and learned about arrangements for the next day. He then notified HSUS Investigators Frantz Dantzler, Phil Steward, and Marc Paulhus. They, in turn, notified the El Dorado County Sheriff's office and the county District Attorney. In addition, the Califor nia Highway Patrol had agreed to stand by with a helicopter and more manpower. Sheriff's deputies stand guard over the people arrested at the site. HSUS's undercover in On the left is one of the canvas-walled pits, where the cockfights took place. On the right is a HSUS Chief Investigator Frantz Dantzler Each of these law enforcement agencies vestigator was not named in the preceding story to avoid possible harm to himself or his set of scales used to weigh each rooster in order to match it with another of equal size. helped catalog evidence found at the site. had been previously briefed. by Dantzler, family. _,," In the front compartment of this box are This rooster's own spur had been trimmed, and moleskin banded around its leg so that the steel gaffs. These implements were seized as steel gaffs could be attached. When this cock lost the fight, he was discarded, but the expen evidence. sive gaffs were saved to be used on the next bird. chase hot dogs. trailer to be taken to the animal shelter. police department of any knowledge you The first clue the crowd had that their After the suspects had been found guilty have on cockfighting in your area. game was over was the sound of the and fined, the court ordered that the con Cockfighting is illegal in most states, but California Highway Patrol helicopter fly fiscated birds be euthanized because they the breeding and selling of gamecocks is ing up the valley. For a few moments, the probably would end up in the hands of not. Although there are legitimate breeders scene was chaotic as cockers scrambled to other cockfighters if they were released. of gamecocks, many breed them only to rid themselves of evidence or implements The birds were humanely euthanized with fight them. If you know of any such activi that might prove them to be anything other an injection of sodium pentobarbital. ty in your neighborhood, listen for rumors than spectators. They did not realize it was of fights. Do not attempt to infiltrate the too late for such precautions, since HSUS' You Can Help cockfighters group yourself. Cockfighters informant knew who was involved and feel strongly that they have a "right" to would be able to testify in court. HSUS has long worked to bring an end their cruel pastime, and will sometimes de The police quickly took control of the to such blood sports as cockfighting, fend this right violently. area. As those arrested were led up the hill dogfighting, and bullfighting. It is not You can help HSUS fight to end blood to waiting police cars, HSUS Investigators enough to pass laws against such animal sports with your contributions. Your Dantzler and Paulhus began to docu1nent abuses. The laws must be enforced. Each dollars will enable HSUS investigators to the evidence found around the site. successful raid, like this one, should serve travel, seek evidence, and press for convic Several boxes or bags of cockfighting im as a warning to cockfighters that there are tions. plements (gaffs, scissors, string, cotton, humanitarians and organizations willing to There are thousands of animals in this antibiotics, alcohol) were found. Forty spend the time, money and effort necessary country whose lives are fated to end pain four live birds were confiscated in their car to break through their secretive defenses fully in a flurry of blood and feathers rying cases. TheEl Dorado County Depart and put an end to their cruel games. unless we see to it that laws against ment of Animal Control assisted in gather You can help in your community by in cockfighting are enforced. Use the enclosed ing the live birds and loaded them into a forming your local humane society or envelope to send HSUS a contribution to day so we can continue to fight for the animals.

6178 Copyright, 1978 The Humane Society of the United States 2100LSt.,N.W. One of the eleven dead roosters found at the site. All died of terrible wounds inflicted during Washington, D.C. 20037 the cockfights. (202) 4S2-1100