Various animal welfare groups notified the Adair County Sheriff’s Office days in advance of an alleged cockfighting derby would be taking place in a location within Adair County. However, according to Kevin Chambers, a Tulsa resident who volunteers for animal rights group SHARK (Showing Animals Respect and Kindness), officials never took the report into account and did not conduct an investigation.
Chambers went to the location and witnessed up to 80 cars and numerous people carrying cages with gamefowl.
Chambers then went to the ACSO, and while the deputies said they would look into it, they did not go.
“If you’re an elected official, it’s your to enforce the law and not pick and choose what you are going to enforce,” said Chambers. “It’s frustrating as an Oklahoman and, in this case, someone who grew up in Adair County, it’s very frustrating.”
Chambers added, “The incidents are growing because Oklahoma now has a reputation among cockfighters as the capital of cockfighting.”
Oklahoma outlawed cockfighting in 2002 but the sport persists underground to this day.
In response to the incident, Adair County Sheriff Jason Ritchie stated that staffing was low on Saturday and that the deputies did not consider the tip as an emergency situation. He said that it is now under investigation.
