Virginia Cockfighting Pit Raided

©The HSUS

Mecklenburg County sheriffs arrested 145 people.

More than 125 birds were seized and 145 people arrested in a raid on a cockfighting pit near Boydton, Va., following an eight-month investigation in which The HSUS assisted state and local law enforcement agencies. The raid comes just as the Virginia legislature is considering enacting felony penalties for cockfighting.

The Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office raided the cockfighting pit Jan. 21, with help from the Virginia State Police and agents with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

"We commend the Mecklenberg County Sheriff's Office for its decisive action in ridding the community of this horrible  form of animal cruelty," said Ann Chynoweth, director of The HSUS Animal Cruelty Campaign. "Forcing animals to tear each other apart for entertainment has no place in civilized society, and today's raid will go a long way toward ridding Virginia of cockfighting cruelty and the violence it engenders."

According to the sheriff's office, most of the individuals arrested came from North Carolina, where cockfighting has been a felony since 2005.  In Virginia, cockfighting is a misdemeanor, but only if associated with gambling. After surrounding states strengthened their penalties against animal fighting in recent years, Virginia appeared to become a magnet for cockfighters. 

Legislation is pending in the Virginia legislature to strengthen the cockfighting law. The bill, S.B. 1190, introduced by Sen. Roscoe Reynolds, would make it a felony to engage in fighting cocks or to possess to train, transport or sell any animal for the purpose of fighting.

Lawmakers are concerned not only about the grisly brutality inflicted on the animals, but also about the associated criminal activity, which often includes gambling, drug trafficking and possession of illegal firearms. What's more, there is growing awareness among policy makers of the connection between cockfighting and the spread of contagious diseases.

Of the 48 states that ban cockfighting, only Alabama has a weaker law than Virginia, according to The HSUS. Thirty-three states provide felony penalties for cockfighting crimes, and in New Mexico and Louisiana, cockfighting remains legal.

Federal legislation to increase the penalties for animal fighting is also pending. The Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act would make it a felony to transport an animal across state or international borders for animal fighting. It would also prohibit interstate and foreign commerce in knives and gaffs designed for use in cockfighting.  

See the Video

HSUS Helps to Bust Virginia Cockfighting Ring

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