Sacramento, CA- In a move to clamp down on the rampant illegal cockfighting in the state, the Tulare County Board of Supervisors is exploring an ordinance to restrict private ownership of roosters. The proposal, exempting legitimate agricultural operators, aims to significantly reduce the number of roosters that can be kept on private property.
The issue is scheduled for review at the board’s meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, following investigations conducted by Animal Wellness Action into illegal cockfighting operations within the county. Despite being outlawed under both California and federal law, cockfighting remains the state’s most widespread form of illegal animal cruelty.
In cockfights, roosters are often fitted with knives or gaffs, causing severe injuries and death for human entertainment and illicit gambling. Records show more than 11,500 fighting birds being shipped to Guam from California in 2020 alone.
Additionally, California has been severely affected by disease outbreaks tied to cockfighting. The state has faced ten of the 15 vND outbreaks in the United States, resulting in the death of at least 16 million birds and expenditure exceeding $1 billion to control outbreaks.
According to Jim Keen, D.V.M., Ph.D., the director of veterinary science for the Center for a Humane Economy, “Gamefowl are high-risk disease vectors and reservoirs,” spreading diseases like Newcastle Disease and avian influenza, which have repeatedly hit California.
If Tulare County passes the proposed ordinance, it will align with 16 other counties that have already restricted the number of roosters an individual can own.
The fight against cockfighting has also been supported on a federal level, with Congressman David Valadao co-sponsoring H.R. 2742, a bill aiming to strengthen laws against dogfighting and cockfighting.
Animal Wellness Action, highlighting the links between cockfighting and other criminal activities such as drug trafficking and illegal weapons, is actively working with residents in Tulare County to promote the ordinance.