5,000 chickens seized in US – largest cockfighting bust

Approx. 4,400 chickens were recently discovered at a 7-acre compound in the Otay Mesa industrial area of San Diego, and hundreds more were at a second training ground nearby, officials said.

”In terms of the number of animals seized, this is the biggest, hands down,” said John Goodwin, manager of animal fighting issues at The Humane Society of the United States.

Fifty people were issued misdemeanor citations, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine, and ordered to answer to cockfighting charges in early December, said Paul Levikow, a spokesman for the San Diego County District Attorney’s office. If the defendants have a history of animal cruelty, they may be charged with felonies. Another 50 people are still being sought, authorities said.

About 80% of the birds seized have been euthanized, Levikow said, who says that the cockfighting operation was managed largely by Filipinos, and fights were staged in the San Diego area. It is also believed that many birds were sent to the Philippines or Hawaii.