Thread: More than 600 chickens seized in Calif. raid

More than 600 chickens seized in Calif. raid

By The Associated Press
Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 9:46 p.m.

YUCAIPA, Calif. — Sheriff's deputies have seized more than 600 chickens that authorities believe were being trained for cockfighting from a Southern California property.

Authorities say deputies seized about 400 roosters and 200 hens Tuesday morning at the residence in Yucaipa in San Bernardino County. The property owners were not there at the time.

Investigators believe the birds were going to be sold in Mexico to compete in cockfighting derbies. Humane Society of the United States law enforcement specialist Eric Sakach says the operation had been written about in a cockfighting magazine.

Deputies and animal control officers were acting on a tip from the Humane Society. Sheriff Rod Hoops says his Rural Crimes Task Force "will not allow this blood sport to flourish."

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010 ... alif-raid/

Video included at source

Inland Empire News
Yucaipa cockfight breeding facility raided
Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Bob Banfield

YUCAIPA, Calif. (KABC) -- Acting on a tip from the Humane Society of the U.S., authorities have confiscated hundreds of roosters and hens in San Bernardino County. The raid was conducted just outside the city of Yucaipa. It's believed the poultry was being supplied to Mexico.

Authorities made the seizure Tuesday on the 10000 block of Sprig Avenue in the unincorporated area of Yucaipa.

The few neighbors in a rural Yucaipa neighborhood were awakened Tuesday not by roosters at a sprawling chicken farm, but by officials with search warrants.

"Investigators did believe that the property owners were raising, breeding, training and selling these birds to Mexico, where these birds were made to fight in derbies," said San Bernardino County Sheriff's Spokesperson Jodie Miller.

A copy of a Mexican cockfighting magazine outlined the high entry fees and very high prizes for some of the legal events held in Mexico.

Some of these pictures in Yucaipa released by the Humane Society show the chickens -- more than 600, more than 400 of them roosters -- are well cared for and well fed. Officials say evidence supporting their accusation of breeding and training of game birds was seized.

"There have been no arrests," said Miller. "The deputies went to the location yesterday morning. They did not find anyone at home. The persons involved are believed to be out of the country at this time."

The closest neighbor said he was told the birds were just exotic birds.

"You know, I'm not sure what definitions of exotic birds are," said neighbor William Roberts. "I mean, you can buy llamas that are really expensive. So just because they're exotic chickens, I'm not sure what different kinds of exotic chickens there are."

No arrests have been made. The owners of this operation are in Mexico and a caretaker is caring for the hundreds of birds remaining at the location.

Authorities believe that most of the battle fowl raised and trained here are shipped to Mexico. But dealing with illegal cockfighting is a problem for authorities in the United States.

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?secti ... id=7281901