WASHINGTON, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action today applauded the MSPCA-Angell Law Enforcement and the Massachusetts State Police for executing a warrant as part of a successful investigation that led to the seizure of more than 60 birds from a suspected cockfighting operation in Springfield, Mass.
“The MSPCA action sends a clear message that the Commonwealth will not tolerate the cruel and illegal practice of cockfighting anywhere in the state,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. “We are grateful for the professionalism and persistence shown by MSPCA-Angell Law Enforcement and the Massachusetts State Police in uncovering this underground operation and removing these animals from harm’s way.”
Cockfighting is a barbaric blood sport that forces animals to fight for human entertainment and illegal gambling, often resulting in severe injury or death for the birds involved. It remains illegal in every U.S. state and at the federal level due to its inherent cruelty and connections to broader criminal activity.
According to reports, at the site, investigators found cockfighting paraphernalia indicative of a fighting operation, including gaffs or knives designed to inflict maximum injury during cockfights. The seized birds will be cared for pending further legal proceedings.
“Illegal animal-fighting rings are not only a threat to animal welfare but often accompany other illicit activities,” added Pacelle. “We commend these law enforcement professionals for their commitment to justice and urge continued vigilance to ensure these cruel enterprises are dismantled.”
Animal Wellness Action offers rewards for tips that lead to the prosecution of animal fighters. Tips can be sent anonymously to animalcrueltytips@animalwellnessaction.org.
The organization urges 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, including the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association and the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association, as have 113 members of Congress and 10 U.S. senators from both sides of the aisle. Neither of Massachusetts’ U.S. senators has endorsed the FIGHT Act yet, and one of nine House lawmakers, Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-8th, has cosponsored the measure. The MSPCA has also endorsed the FIGHT Act.
Rep. Jim McGovern, D-2nd, led the fight to make it a federal crime for anyone to attend or bring a minor to a cockfight. That provision of the national law was enacted in 2024, after McGovern carried the amendment on that provision in the House Agriculture Committee.