Police Arrest 30 at South Carolina Cockfight
Legislators Urged to Consider Bill to Make Cruel Blood Sport a Felony

Acting on an anonymous tip, South Carolina law enforcement officials arrested 30 people last week at a cockfighting ring in Marlboro County. About 20 dead and severely injured birds were recovered from the site, as well as cockfighting paraphernalia, guns, several thousand dollars in cash and some marijuana. Of those arrested, eight juveniles were released into their parents' custody and 22 adults were charged with misdemeanors. About half of those charged had paid the $100 fine and were free to leave within hours of being booked.

Cockfighting is an egregiously cruel blood sport on which spectators often wager thousands of dollars. "Gamecocks" are bred and trained for aggression, and are pumped full of stimulants like strychnine and testosterone as well as blood-clotting drugs to prolong their ability to fight. Their natural spurs are sawed off and replaced by razor sharp steel blades or curved implements called gaffs to make fights more "exciting" for spectators. When handlers place two roosters into an inescapable pit, the birds peck and maim one another with their beaks and the weapons until the death of one or both of them. Fighting birds routinely suffer gruesome injuries, including broken wings and legs, punctured lungs, severed spinal cords, and ruptured eyes. In addition, the events are breeding grounds for other criminal activities, with illicit gambling, weapons and drugs often involved.

Cockfighting has been illegal in South Carolina since at least 1887, but the penalties are too weak to act as an effective deterrent. Last year, North Carolina passed legislation that made cockfighting a felony offense, so now criminals have been crossing the State line to partake in this illegal activity where the punishment for being caught is still a mere slap on the wrist. A bill to increase penalties for cockfighting was defeated in the South Carolina legislature last year, but a new bill has been introduced to make it a felony crime like dog fighting and other "sports" involving animal abuse. If the bill passes, the punishment for cockfighting could soon be a fine of up to $5,000 and five years' imprisonment. This would go a long way towards protecting birds from a lifetime of terror and abuse and preventing associated crimes committed by members of the cockfighting subculture.

In the wake of the bust, IDA founder and President Dr. Elliot Katz faxed letters to South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford and the Senate Judiciary Committee Chair urging these influential decision makers to support the pending legislation that would make cockfighting a felony in the State. Cockfighting is already illegal in all but two states, and if the bill becomes law, South Carolina will become the 34th state to make it a felony offense.

News and Alerts