Animal Wellness Action Commends Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office for Rapid Response and Cockfighting Ring Bust in Tonopah

Tonopah, AZ — Animal Wellness Action today lauded the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) for its decisive and professional response that led to the disruption of an illegal cockfighting ring on January 10 at a property near Tonopah. Deputies, responding to a welfare check called in by a concerned property owner, encountered an active cockfight and moved quickly to intervene, detaining multiple individuals and seizing evidence of the cruel and illegal operation.

At the scene, deputies uncovered a fighting ring, cockfighting equipment, gambling ledgers, and 34 live roosters that had been altered for combat, along with additional birds found dead on the property. Several people were cited for participating in the event, and others were booked into county jail on charges tied to facilitating the cockfight.

“Animal fighting is a brutal and exploitative form of animal cruelty that should have no place in our communities,” said Wayne Pacelle, President of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. “We commend the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office for their swift action in stopping an active cockfight, holding those responsible accountable, and sending a clear message that cruelty and illegal gambling operations will not be tolerated.”  Mr, Pacelle led the 1998 Arizona ballot measure to outlaw cockfighting, making it the 46th state to outlaw the practice.

 

Owning, possessing, keeping, training, or causing roosters to fight for amusement or gain – is classified as a Class 5 felony under Arizona law. Being present at a place where cockfighting is being prepared or taking place is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Cockfighting is illegal throughout the United States and is recognized not only as an extreme act of cruelty to animals but also as a crime frequently associated with gambling and other illicit activities. The prompt intervention by MCSO prevented further harm to the animals involved and reinforced the importance of law enforcement agencies’ role in animal protection.

“We applaud the professionalism exhibited by the sheriff’s deputies and investigative units in this case,” continued Pacelle. “Their commitment to community safety and animal welfare is exemplary, and we stand ready to support efforts to ensure full prosecution of those who exploit animals for bloodsport and profit.”

Animal Wellness Action calls on prosecutors to pursue the strongest possible charges in this case and for continuing vigilance to prevent similar crimes in the future.

The organizations also urge Congress to pass the bipartisan FIGHT Act (H.R. 3946/S. 1454) to bolster enforcement tools, including bans on shipping fighting birds through the mail, outlawing simulcast gambling on cockfights, and enhancing forfeiture provisions for property used in these criminal enterprises. More than 1,000 agencies and law enforcement organizations across the nation have endorsed the FIGHT Act, as have 126 members of Congress and 11 U.S. senators from both sides of the aisle. U.S. Representatives Juan Ciscomani, R-Az, Greg Stanton, D-Az, and David Schweikert, R-Az have endorsed the FIGHT Act.

Both Animal Wellness Action and SHARK offer rewards for tips that lead to the prosecution and conviction of animal fighters. Tips can be sent anonymously to animalcrueltytips@animalwellnessaction.org.