3,000 Roosters Seized In NY’s Biggest Cockfighting Bust

Now that’s a lot of cock! Roughly 3,000 fighting roosters were found when a NY cockfighting ring was raided. 70 people were taken into custody. The operation spanned Queens, Brooklyn and upstate Ulster County. The Organized Crime Task Force declared that they “executed the largest cockfighting takedown in New York State history.” Irony to be served: the operation was coined: “Operation Angry Birds.”

On Saturday night, the OCTF, NY State Police and a branch of Homeland Security raided a cockfighting event in Queens. The AG’s office said, “The 70-person event, including bettors and spectators, was busted up. Six of those people, who had brought and fought birds, were charged with felony Prohibition of Animal Fighting. The others were released. The ASPCA took control of 65 fighting birds. The ring had been operating bimonthly events there since at least May, when the OCTF first began monitoring cockfighting at this location.”

First, let me say I’m strongly against cockfighting.

What’s there not to hate about people who breed roosters to fight it out to the death in a ring (cockpit) and then wager on which bird will be the winner?

A while back, I ventured deep into the Louisiana Bayou in order to make a documentary on cockfighting—the cruel bloodsport where roosters are put in rings to fight it out to the death. Some southerners want cockfighting to be legal, because they say birds clawing, tearing, and pecking each other to death is their heritage and tradition.

Here’s the short video doc I did on cockfighting in Louisiana. Just like the incident in New York City, should America keep their hands off our cockfighting?