Authorities took around 48 hours to bust three cockfighting rings in Huron and Lorain County. Law enforcement agents worked together with Huron County Humane Society and Friendship Animal Protective League in Lorain to take down the illegal cockfighting rings.
In Wakeman, the agents busted an illegal cockfighting operation and rescued over 100 roosters and other animals. Two illegal rings were busted in Lorain with nearly 250 chickens being rescued.
Janine Smalley, founder of Whispering Acres Farm Animal Sanctuary in Medina, stated, “It’s very cruel. It’s very neglectful. They do it for human entertainment and for sport, and the roosters, more or less, have their combs taken off, their waddles are taken off so they don’t bleed excessively. They’re fitted with knives that are called gaff knives, they go on their legs where their spurs would be.”
Smalley aided in two of the operations, even taking in some of the roosters from Huron County. She said, “They did have cuts and gashes and feather loss, and they were definitely scarred,” and added that she plans to take in more chicken.
Cluck Norris, a rooster who was also rescued from a cockfighting ring in Lorain Country about a year ago was also taken in by Smalley. She says that roosters raised in that kind of environment aren’t easy to rehabilitate and it can take up to six months.
“It’s so tough. We’ll put food around the outside of the cage so other animals will come there, they see that they’re not gonna get hurt. We’ll feed the other one inside and then we slowly work on an introduction program so they’re not trying to kill each other, they realize okay this human is not gonna hurt me, this other bird is not gonna hurt me,” she said.
The two cases in Lorain County are under investigation. Cockfighting is only a 4th-degree misdemeanor in Ohio, with penalties possibly including a USD 250 fine or up to 30 days in jail.
“Who would want to sit around and watch an animal kill another animal? I cannot understand the logic of that sport whatsoever, it mortifies me,” Smalley said.
Her sanctuary opened five years ago, and Smalley mentioned that this will be the fifth or sixth time they’ve had to take animals in. “It is getting much worse and I think it’s more of a domino effect when you find out about one you start finding out about other ones that are connected,” she added.
Huron County is seeking homes for the chickens as well as donations. Friendship APL has to keep the chickens as the case moves through court, but they are accepting donations and eventually will be looking for homes for the birds as well.
Bird flu is something that they’re dealing with right now, however. “Bird flu is prevalent all over a lot of people are using millions of chickens in flocks due to bird flu,” Smalley explained. “People don’t want to bring in a stray rooster, a stray chicken to their property because you don’t know what it could have so you have the quarantine process.”
