The Albuquerque police shut down an illegal cockfighting operation in the International District. Police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos stated that the officers responded to a home on the 500 block of Utah SE.
According to Gallegos, about 20 people fled in various directions when the officers arrived at the property. The police believe that the main organizer of the cockfighting ring was Adolfo Gonzales, 30. He will be summoned to court to face cockfighting charges. About 11 other people received citations.
The police were able to recover six fighting roosters. One rooster was dead and one was severely injured. Two breeding hens with eggs and a pit bull were also found.
Police also found a table with alcohol and a box full of knives meant to be tied onto the roosters during fights.
The authorities also released a body camera video of them working alongside animal control officers to confiscate the birds and put them in boxes. The video is filled with frequent sounds of roosters crowing as an officer stands nearby.
One of the officers can be heard warning his colleagues, “Be careful. If they took off and they still have the knife on them and they kick you they’re going to slice you up.”
Wayne Pacelle of Animal Wellness Action, a Washington, D.C.-based animal rights group, lauded the Albuquerque police for busting the cockfighting pit.
“I am glad to hear that Albuquerque Police Department officers swiftly took action to shut down an illegal cockfighting operation. It is remarkable to see a fighting dog, as well as roosters in the same operation. Animal fighting is cruelty to animals in its worst form, and it is tied to other serious crimes, such as drug trafficking and gambling,” said Pacelle in a statement.
