Cockfighting - 27 birds seized
Kodiak, AK (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006
County: Kodiak Island
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Angel M Calibo
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
Thirty-three chickens confiscated in an earlier raid and arrest are now being housed in the Kodiak Animal Shelter where police have taken measures to make sure the roosters and hens are safe and warm. Lt. Ray Ellis of the Kodiak Police Department said Tuesday the fowl are being properly fed and watered, and both straw and cages have been obtained so that they are "warm and safe." He said while the animal shelter, a nonprofit group supported by the Humane Society of Kodiak, is not set up for housing chickens, accommodations were devised so the animals are kept inside.
The 27 roosters and six hens are being held as evidence and have to be held until the conclusion of the court case. "But the city does not care to be in the poultry business and we would like to be rid of the problem as soon as possible," Ellis said. District Attorney Mike Gray said his office is attempting to resolve the problem of having the animals housed. "The chickens, of course, are evidence but we are trying to work it out so that the chickens can be given away or adopted out before the case is actually settled in court," Gray said.
Gray said under the law the property of the person arrested, could be forfeited because of the alleged breeding and cockfighting charges. This would include his house and automobile. If the evidence is destroyed without forfeiture arrangements with the defendant, the district attorney's case could be damaged. "So we are saying that we will agree not to pursue forfeit of property if we can go ahead and dispose of the fowl," Gray said. At the same time, Angel M. Calibo, charged with breeding roosters for fighting purposes, a felony, made a first appearance in court Friday and has been released on a $2,000 unsecured bond with a condition not to possess any live fowl. A preliminary court hearing is scheduled for March 23, 2006.
Calibo was arrested after police served a search warrant at a Willow Street residence resulting from an investigation initiated by a noise complaint from a citizen. KPD recovered an assortment of items associated with breeding and fighting roosters, such as razors that are attached to the animals in cockfights. Meanwhile, the Kodiak City Council is considering devising a city ordinance to regulate farm animals kept within the city limits. Council members expressed concern over safety issues and a number of complaints, primarily noise. In addition, police are continuing their investigation into other breeding sites and sites where cockfighting may be occurring.
Case UpdatesTwenty-seven roosters confiscated in an alleged illegal breeding operation were disposed of due to their "aggressive nature" and scars from battle; but six hens are alive and up for adoption. "This was a last resort, but there was no other choice," said Kathy Daquilanea, manager of the Kodiak Animal Shelter, a facility owned by the city but leased for management on a nonprofit basis to the Humane Society of Kodiak. "These animals were bred and trained to fight. It's illegal to have fighting cocks," Daquilanea said. The roosters were disposed of by lethal injection and later destroyed in a city incinerator.
"It's sad, but we are looking for suitable homes for the hens," Daquilanea said. Since the 27 chickens were confiscated for evidence last week after an arrest by Kodiak police, a number of people have paid particular interest to the case. In addition to the animal shelter, the City Council, the police department and the district attorney, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals registered its position on the situation. PETA, a national organization, has its central headquarters in Norfolk, Va.
Angel M. Calibo, arrested and released on a $2,000 unsecured bond with a condition not to possess any live fowl, was charged with breeding roosters for fighting purposes, a felony offense that carries a maximum $50,000 fine and a jail term of up to five years.
District Attorney Mike Gray said he was able to work out a deal with the defendant so that the roosters, held as evidence at the shelter, could be disposed of quickly without damage to his case. KPD Sgt. Kyle Valerio, who has been helping with the animals, said they were in "bad condition." "Some of them were missing eyes, had damaged beaks and broken bones and wings," he said." These roosters had been fought in battle. They had many battle scars." Daquilanea said she and assistant Karen Riley will continue to feed and water the six undamaged hens until someone comes forward to take them.
Meanwhile, Kodiak City Council is considering a city ordinance to regulate farm animals within the city limits. Council members have expressed concern over safety, disease and noise. The council is expected to address the issue at its next meetings. | Source: Kodiak Daily Mirror - March 13, 2006
Update posted on Mar 14, 2006 - 8:49PM |
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