Massive California Cockfighting Operation Raided in Multi-Agency Sting |
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October 15, 2007
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©The HSUS |
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The HSUS assists in a massive Oct. 13 cockfighting bust in San Diego, Calif. |
SAN DIEGO – Owing to its experience and resources in illegal animal fighting investigations, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) was enlisted this weekend to assist law enforcement and local animal protection agencies in one of the largest cockfighting busts in U.S. history.
"In 30 years of investigating animal fighting activities, the scale of this operation is staggering and there is no precedent for it. This bust represents a major setback to the cockfighting industry," said Eric Sakach, team leader and animal fighting investigator for The Humane Society of the United States.
The HSUS dispatched a team of 20 people from its regional offices around the country, from its Disaster Services staff and from its Animal Cruelty and Fighting campaign.
They backed up multiple law-enforcement agencies and two local animal agencies, San Diego County Animal Services and the San Diego Humane Society, in raids directed at two separate locations.Lt. Dan DeSousa of the County of San Diego Department of Animal Services thanked HSUS staffers for their help in multi-agency action. "With a cockfighting operation of this size, the County of San Diego Department of Animal Services was extremely grateful for the expert assistance provided by the HSUS staff."
"They played an integral part in the smooth execution of the raid and in the processing of the over five thousand birds on the premises. Together, the County of San Diego and The HSUS have sent a message to the public that the blood sport of cockfighting will not be tolerated in San Diego nor anywhere else in the United States."
The primary location was a site also raided six years ago in a bust in which more than 2,500 birds were confiscated. In the aftermath of that previous action, The HSUS sponsored and successfully lobbied for enactment of legislation to increase penalties for cockfighting in California. The law took effect in 2006.
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©The HSUS |
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An injured bird at the Oct. 13 cockfighting bust in San Diego, Calif. |
Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS, praised San Diego authorities and the agencies that supported them. He said the staggering scale of this animal-fighting operation should shock both the state and the nation. "Professional animal fighting is an ugly and unacceptable criminal enterprise."
"It inflicts untold cruelty on animals and is a gateway to other criminal activities. Our participation in this operation is part of our steadfast commitment to smoking out animal fighting in every dark corner where it festers."
The HSUS called 2007 a banner year for eradicating illegal animal fighting. The group pushed successful state laws banning cockfighting in New Mexico and Louisiana, the last two states that allowed the practice.
And The HSUS capped a six-year campaign in Congress to upgrade the federal penalties for illegal dogfighting and cockfighting from a misdemeanor to a felony, when President Bush signed the new law in May.
See the Video
HSUS Undercover: Inside Animal Fighting
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