Ruffled Feathers: Why the Endgame for Cockfighting in the U.S. Isn't Over Yet

While New Mexico enjoyed its first day as a legal cockfighting-free state on June 15^th, Louisiana, embarrassed to be the last state to allow cockfighting, continued to debate the issue in their legislature. The New Mexico ban was passed in March 2007 with the help of Governor Bill Richardson, also a Democratic candidate for president. Pro-cockfighting legislators weakened the bill as it traveled through the legislature. The new law makes the first two offenses misdemeanors and the third a fourth-degree felony.

In late June Louisiana legislators were working on a bill to ban cockfighting but disagreed on when it should take effect, either immediately or next year. They were also considering another bill to ban gambling at cockfights, which would effectively eliminate them. The legislators indicated that they did not want the wording of the bill to adversely affect the highly profitable poultry processing industry as well as giving cockfighters enough time to sell or kill off their roosters in fights.

A cockfight involves two specially bred roosters in a pit fitted with blades or gaffs on their legs who are forced to fight until one is dead or badly wounded. Gambling, drinking, illicit drugs and firearms are the usual accompaniments to a cockfight. It's a very bloody and exceptionally cruel spectacle. Sadly, children are often allowed to attend cockfights because some ethnic groups consider it a family activity and a cultural tradition.

To make life more difficult for cockfighters, President Bush, to his credit, on May 3^rd signed the federal Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act, which upgraded penalties to felonies and jail terms of up to three years for violating the existing federal animal fighting law. It also banned interstate and foreign commerce of cockfighting weapons and animal fighting activities, including dog fighting. This much-needed law was six years in the making.

But despite bans in 49 states and federal anti-cockfighting laws, the reality is that cockfighting is still extensively practiced underground because of weak laws in some states. Alabama charges a mere $50 maximum fine for cockfighting. Virginia's official stance is that cockfighting is legal unless money is involved. Mississippi allows people to attend cockfights and own fighting cocks. In Ohio, the maximum punishment for cockfighting is only 90 days in jail. In West Virginia, the fine for cockfighting is only $300 with no jail time required. As a result, the states of Alabama, Virginia, Mississippi, Ohio and West Virginia remain havens for cockfighters.

There are a few states with strong anti-cockfighting laws-Michigan, Florida and Colorado-but cockfighting is currently a felony in only 33 states, probably soon to be 34. In Illinois, a bill that increases the penalties for all types of animal fighting (including bear or alligator wrestling) from a misdemeanor to a felony is awaiting the governor's signature.

Despite the presence of anti-cockfighting laws, in just the past couple of months a number of people have been arrested and gamecocks seized by authorities in various states.

A man in Colorado, which has one of the nation's toughest cockfighting laws, was sentenced to six months in jail, three years' probation and 200 hours of community service for having roosters, fighting implements, animal supplements and cockfighting videotapes on his property.

A former Honolulu police officer got 18 months in federal prison for continually tipping off gambling and cockfighting operators that they were about to be raided by the police. Two more officers involved were awaiting sentencing. Cockfighting is so widespread in Hawaii that there is an agreement between the police and operators to continue operations as long as there are no drugs or weapons found on the premises.

In North Carolina, four men were arrested and charged with numerous felony counts for cockfighting and cruelty to animals.

In Oklahoma, an elementary school principal along with 80 other people was arrested during a cockfighting raid. He was suspected of being the ringleader.

In Arkansas, 81 people were arrested on felony charges and an additional 61 for misdemeanors at a cockfighting arena in which gamecocks were given methamphetamine, strychnine and vitamins to increase their stamina.

In Alabama, ten pled guilty to cockfighting and gambling and were given one year of probation along with a small fine. Another 23 pled innocent and will go to trial.

In California, hundreds of birds were seized and one man was arrested as part of a cockfighting investigation. Police found cockfighting implements and veterinary supplies (cockfighters often use them to try to keep injured gamecocks alive longer). In another raid, a man was arrested with roosters along with evidence that they were being trained to fight.

There is no easy answer to this continuing animal cruelty issue, but if voters push their state legislators for stronger anti-cockfighting laws and new immigrants are educated about laws against cockfighting, that will certainly help. There will always be a criminal element that flouts the law, but that is no reason not to have strong legislation in place. Cockfighters will have to learn the hard way that there will be zero tolerance of their bloody tradition in this country.