In October 2019, Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) and In Defense of Animals exposed a cockfighting ring in Kentucky. We caught multiple law enforcement officers actively participating in the atrocious cruelty. Join us in urging Kentucky's new governor to finally end this cruelty once and for all!

Cockfights are barbaric displays where roosters are forced to maim each other. These bloody fights are extremely cruel and also pose a public health risk since pathogens can spread to attendees from stressed and wounded birds. COVID-19 is likely to have passed to humans in a similarly gruesome environment where injured and dying animals are in close proximity to humans.

Law enforcers are not above the law! 

Two correctional officers named Ronnie Bennet and Kyle Simpson from the Harlan County Detention Center were active members of the ring we investigated. The crooks even posted pictures of cockfights they attended on Facebook. Bennet admitted to attending cockfights, but claimed not to have participated in them. This still means he committed a federal crime and failed to report crimes he knew about. 

In response to SHARK and IDA’s evidence, the Kentucky State Police ridiculously claimed that cockfighting isn’t illegal in Kentucky, even though state law clearly forbids making “any animal… fight for pleasure.” Cockfighting is also a federal crime.

This issue isn’t new. In 2009, when Kentucky Governor Beshear’s father was in office, the Humane Society of the United States documented four uniformed officers attending a cockfight.  

What You Can Do:

We are calling on Governor Beshear to finally end this decade of corruption. Please contact his office and urge him to prosecute the disgraceful public officials exposed as cockfighters.

1) Make a polite call to Governor Beshear at 502-564-2611. 

Here’s an example of what you can say.

I urge Governor Bashear to act against a cockfighting ring that was exposed by Showing Animals Respect and Kindness and In Defense of Animals in October 2019. Two Harlan County correctional officers named Ronnie Bennett and Kyle Simpson were active participants in the ring, and posted photos of cockfights that they attended on Facebook. 

Cockfighting is a federal crime and prohibited by Kentucky law which forbids making “any animal...fight for pleasure or profit.” The Kentucky State Police has since failed to take action and even falsely claimed that cockfighting isn’t illegal in Kentucky. Please direct the State Police to immediately bring these criminals to justice and stop disgracing Kentucky public officials.

2) Send our letter to Governor Beshear by filling out the form on this page.