How to Investigate Animal Cruelty in NY State – A Manual of Procedures

Example 20 – Cock Fighting

The Complaint

An informant notified a city humane society about a large cock fighting ring that held regularly scheduled fights involving approximately one-hundred fighting cocks.

The Response

  1. The humane society did surveillance and had an undercover investigator to attend a fight.
  2. After verifying that fights were being held, the humane society applied for a search warrant.
  3. On the night of a scheduled fight, the humane society investigators along with officers from the police department executed the search warrant. Video footage and still photographs were used to document the scene.
  4. The humane society provided vehicles to remove the birds.
  5. Ninety-six people were arrested at the scene.
  6. The badly damaged birds were euthanized; those that were not euthanized were held for evidence.

Charges Brought

Twelve individuals who organized the fighting ring were charged with animal fighting, a (felony) violation of Article 26 Section 351 of Agriculture & Markets law, subsection 2a, and the rest (attendees) were charged with a violation of 351, subsection 4a, a misdemeanor.

Supporting Documents Follow