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Case ID: 16611
Classification: Fighting
Animal: chicken
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Cockfighting - 42 birds seized
Fort Wayne, IN (US)

Incident Date: Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010
County: Allen

Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 1 files available

Alleged: Barry Myers

Case Updates: 2 update(s) available

An anonymous tip launched a cockfighting investigation on the north side of Fort Wayne, ending in the seizure of 42 game fowl, Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control announced Friday.

A search warrant was served Tuesday in the 7700 block of Woodbine Avenue -- north of Smith Field -- by city police and Animal Care & Control, according to a written statement issued by Belinda Lewis, director of the animal shelter.

No further information was immediately available.


Case Updates

A Fort Wayne man accused of using his roosters and hens for cockfighting appeared in court Tuesday. Barry Myers, 47, faces six felony counts and one misdemeanor count, all related to animal fighting.

Fort Wayne Police and Animal Care and Control worked together on the investigation after receiving an anonymous tip about 42 birds at Myers' home.

Authorities said one of the reasons they believed the birds were used in cockfights was because of missing combs from the tops of some of the bird's heads.

Zachary Witte, attorney for Barry Myers, said the birds were only kept as pets. "These birds are pretty birds. They're roosters, and they're different than the rooster you would see on a farm. He (Myers) did have them as pets. He didn't purchase them to fight," Witte said.

Court documents released today detailed the items taken from Barry Myers' home when a search warrant was executed on October 12, 2010. Numerous items were taken into evidence, including: sterile gauze pads, cotton balls, Keep-Aid, identified for game fowl, racing birds and pigeons, multiple game cock magazines, one Spanish cock fighting magazine, syringes, antiseptic, other paraphernalia, gaffs, sparring muffs, topical herbal antibiotics, and wooden transport boxes.

Speaking in reference to the court documents, Witte said, "The information is very vague right now, and the charges are based on assumptions rather than evidence"

All of the birds were surrendered to Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control and destroyed.

Barry Myers' next court date is set for December 8, 2010 and his lawyer said he wants a jury trial.
Source: WANE - Oct 19, 2010
Update posted on Oct 20, 2010 - 12:17AM 
The 42 roosters and hens of a suspected cockfighting operation found at a Woodbine Avenue home are the most recovered by Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control in at least 25 years.

Animal Care & Control Director Belinda Lewis said cockfighting inside the city limits is rare.

It's usually associated with rural culture.

"Generally, we don't see cockfighting," Lewis said.

Sometimes, officials would come across a rooster or two that they suspect of being in cockfights, but nothing like the batch found Tuesday.

Typically, cockfights are conducted in farm areas.

In 2008, police removed nearly 150 roosters from the barns of a Noble County man suspected of cockfighting.

In 2007, three people were charged with cockfighting in LaGrange County after police raided a home and found more than 30 fighting roosters.

This year, a Shelby County man was charged in connection with a cockfighting ring after he appeared on the cover of a magazine alluding to his involvement in cockfighting.

Two hundred chickens were taken from Edward "Wally" Clemons' farm in August, along with shears to cut off roosters' combs and knives for fights.

Clemons faces felony charges of animal possession for the purpose of an animal-fighting contest and promoting an animal-fighting contest, as well as some misdemeanor charges.
Source: Journal Gazette - Oct 16, 2010
Update posted on Oct 16, 2010 - 3:41PM 

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