200 fighting roosters removed from property
Santa Cruz, CA (US)

Incident Date: Wednesday, Nov 30, 2005
County: Santa Cruz

Disposition: Not Charged

Abuser names unreleased

More than 200 fighting cocks have been confiscated in rural South County in the past two weeks, according to Mike McFarland, general manager of Santa Cruz County Animal Services. Nearly 200 of them came from a farm on the 600 block of Calabasas Road about two weeks ago. The owner of the property said the fighting cocks weren't his, he was merely housing them.

"The property owner tried to plead ignorance. We told them they are potentially criminally liable for having control of fighting cocks," McFarland said. "The property owner said people showed up and took care of the birds." In this case, officials believed the landowner and aren't filing charges, which range from a misdemeanor to a felony for animal fighting, housing fighting animals or animal cruelty.

References

• Santa Cruz Sentinel - January 7, 2006

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