Cockfighting - 14 birds seized Fort Meade, FL (US) Incident Date: Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 County: Polk Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Abuser names unreleased

Case ID: 10535 Classification: Fighting Animal: chicken View more cases in FL (US) Login to Watch this Case

Eleven people were arrested Jan 14 afternoon after police broke up a cockfight at a home, according to the Fort Meade Police Department.

Officials responded to a call about possible animal abuse about 1:45 p.m. at 824 Oak Ave. S., police Chief Michael S. Woods said.

When officers arrived they found a group of men baiting two roosters, a number of other roosters caged separately and obvious signs of grooming and preparing roosters for fighting, Woods said.

Roosters can be groomed for cockfights by trimming the comb on top of their heads and clipping their claws, as the ones confiscated were.

Eleven men were arrested, all of them from Highlands County. They are being charged with fighting or baiting animals under the state's Animal Fighting Act, Woods said.

The law makes attending, facilitating or participating in a cockfight a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

Fort Meade police were trying to determine who owns the home. They were told the residents are out of the country in Mexico.

"We're still investigating," he said. "We're still trying to figure out the extent of these folks' involvement."

Officers also seized about $3,000 in cash.

Fourteen roosters were turned over to the Polk County Sheriff's Office Animal Services Division. Agricultural Deputy Lee Barberee assisted police, sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Rodgers said.

A legal process will decide which agency will ultimately take custody of the birds and what will happen to them.

"If they're trained to fight, they'll end up being euthanized," Rodgers said. "But that's weeks down the road."

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References

The Ledger - Jan 15, 2007

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