APPANOOSE COUNTY, Iowa—The Humane Society of the United States is assisting the Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office with the seizure of more than 400 roosters and hens from an alleged cockfighting operation in Appanoose County, Iowa. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the United States Department of Agriculture also assisted on-scene.
Law enforcement served a search and seizure warrant on a residential property around 7 a.m. on Sept. 4. More than 400 roosters, hens and chicks were found living outside or throughout multiple structures on the property, some tethered in place in makeshift pens and enclosures, with no apparent access to clean drinking water. Some roosters appeared to have wounds and missing feathers. Rescuers found several deceased animals throughout the property.
The HSUS assisted with animal handling and scene documentation and provided expertise in identifying paraphernalia. The birds were identified by animal fighting experts as gamefowl, a term used to describe birds raised for the purposes of fighting and selectively bred to be aggressive with other birds. Responders found paraphernalia consistent with the raising and keeping of birds for the purposes of fighting was found throughout the property. Items identified on the property and commonly associated with such operations included makeshift shelters, transport boxes, incubators, antibiotics and dewormer, and electronic scales. It does not appear fights were conducted on the property.
“These animals are born into a barren, bleak life. We can only imagine that once sold, they’d meet a painful end when forced to fight other roosters to the death. It is all the more disturbing that there are organized efforts to legalize this cruel practice,” said Preston Moore, Iowa state director for the Humane Society of the United States. “We are grateful to work with the Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office to shut down this operation. Thanks to the Iowa legislature taking action to make the breeding and keeping of animals for fighting illegal two decades ago, law enforcement is able to intervene in these situations.”
“On behalf of the Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office, I was very pleased to partner with the Humane Society of the United States and the assistance they provided and continue to provide the Sheriff’s Office. Humane Society staff displayed and conducted themselves in a very professional manner in the partnership with law enforcement and their core values as an organization. Without the assistance of the Humane Society of the United States, this investigation would have been a very costly and complicated investigation for the Sheriff’s Office,” said Sheriff Gary Anderson. “These types of investigations have to be taken seriously, as they are commonly a nexus to other types of crimes such as illegal narcotics, animal abuse, environmental concerns, agricultural livestock diseases, and financial crimes.”
Cockfighting is a criminal industry in the U.S. that profits from violent cruelty to animals. It involves pitting two animals to fight—often to the death—for the purpose of profit, gambling and purported entertainment. Even birds who aren't outright killed during the fights suffer terribly. Common injuries include punctured lungs, broken bones and pierced eyes, yet the birds are forced to continue to fight. Animal fighting is often associated with other crimes such as drug trafficking, gang activity and illegal weapon sales.
A group of pro-cockfighting individuals known as the U.S. Gamefowl Commission has launched a coordinated effort to reduce or eliminate penalties for cockfighting. The group hosts pro-cockfighting rallies, raises funds and donates to legislators in their attempts to decriminalize cockfighting. These efforts gained traction in Oklahoma in recent years, resulting in a dangerous bill—which would have reduced cockfighting and dogfighting to a misdemeanor—making it as far as passing the Oklahoma House before stalling.
Due to the high likelihood of the birds spreading infectious diseases such as avian flu to humans and to commercial flocks and lack of placement options for roosters, birds rescued from these situations are typically not able to be adopted out, leaving agencies little choice but humane euthanasia.