Cockfighting - 10 birds seized
Denver, CO (US)

Incident Date: Thursday, May 5, 2005
County: Arapahoe

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Manuel Ruiz Bargara

Police and animal control officers seized cages and boxes with seven roosters and three hens from a house.

The owner of the house, Manuel Ruiz Bargara, told police he was only watching the roosters for a friend but police think they were used for cockfighting.

Denver police and animal control officers say the tell-tale signs include surgically altered roosters, some of which had bands around their legs.

"The bands are actually used to strap on knives, and the reason they strap on knives is to cause injury to each other," said Doug Kelly, with Denver Animal Control.

Bargara, who was arrested on May 5, faces felony charges of cruelty to animals and animal fighting.

Investigators say it's hard to tell if any fights were held at his Denver home. Typically, cockfights are not staged where they're stored, police said.

Even just attending a cockfight is a felony offense.

References

• thedenverchannel.com - May 6, 2005

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