LOGAN COUNTY, Okla.— Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, issued the following statement regarding the Sunday, May 25, 2025, arrests of eight people in Logan County, Oklahoma, on charges related to cockfighting. “Cockfighting is a gruesome and senseless form of animal abuse, and it is rightly treated as a … Read more
You can listen to this article here: Before then-National Football League phenom Michael Vick reminded the American public that dogfighting was an ongoing scourge, there was LeShon Johnson. The Oklahoma native and former NFL player ran Krazyside Kennels in the early 2000s and was convicted under state law in 2004 for his dogfighting ways. Yesterday, … Read more
Press Release Oklahoma cockfighters lobby lawmakers during the week to decriminalize animal fights, and then participate in their felonious staged animal combat on weekends Tulsa, OK — Today, Animal Wellness Action and SHARK (Showing Animals Respect and Kindness) released investigative footage of two cockfights that occurred on both sides of the Red River—one in Murray County, … Read more
Press Release 10 birds seized, with arrests in Atoka and Murray counties Tulsa, OK — Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy applauded federal and local law enforcement in Southern Oklahoma for enforcing laws against illegal possession and transportation of fighting roosters for cockfighting. The interdiction, resulting in the arrest two Texas men … Read more
Press Release Animal welfare groups says voters showed public sentiment remains strong against weakening the state’s anti-cockfighting laws Tulsa, OK — The results are in for the August 27 primary run-off elections in Oklahoma, and overall, some major pro-cockfighting candidates went down to defeat. This will have the effect of cementing the overwhelming opposition of … Read more
Press Release The Republican sheriff has enforced the anti-cruelty laws, including a ban on staged animal fights, and the cockfighting community has tried to pressure him to stop. Tulsa, OK — Former two-term Republican Governor Frank Keating and Animal Wellness Action Oklahoma announced their official endorsements of Carter County Sheriff Chris Bryant for re-election in … Read more
State lawmakers conclude their work for the year and anti-cockfighting laws remain fully intact as cockfighters pivot and target sheriffs who enforce anti-cruelty laws. Oklahoma City — The legislative attempt to unwind Oklahoma’s voter-approved anti-cockfighting law crashed and burned at the state capitol in 2024, with the 59th Legislative session officially ending last week. A pro-cockfighting bill, HB … Read more
Press Release Melissa Handke’s Office, Cooperating with Sheriff Chris Bryant, Doesn’t Bend to Appeals by Cockfighting Advocates to Ignore the Rule of Law Carter County, OK — Animal Wellness groups are applauding Carter County District Attorney Melissa Handke’s Office for charging two residents with felonies for being alleged facilitators of a large-scale cockfight weeks ago. … Read more
Horrifying images caught on Ring camera and turned over to authorities; publicity and reward led to identification of perpetrator Washington D.C. — Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy are proud to announce rewarding an Oklahoma woman $2,000 for definitive information that led to the identification of the individual seen in a video published … Read more
Fred Hudson and Kevin Chambers to bring experience, commitment to animal-protection campaigns Washington D.C. — Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy announced the hiring of Kevin Chambers as Oklahoma State Director and Assistant Director of International. Kevin Chambers brings decades of global and local business, government, and animal advocacy experience to … Read more
Groups offer reward program as cockfighting ring discovered at Norman barn fire. Oklahoma City — Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy report that recent activities by pro-cockfighters in Oklahoma to weaken the state’s laws may be backfiring and in fact setting them back. Efforts by cockfighting supporters to persuade the Oklahoma Legislature … Read more
Press Release Football legend is latest public figure in Oklahoma to express concerns about the governor’s embrace of a cockfighting group whose members are engaging in ongoing criminal activities. Oklahoma City, OK — Former University of Oklahoma and Dallas Cowboys head coach Barry Switzer has weighed in on the cockfighting scandal in Oklahoma. The legendary football … Read more
Press Release Stitt sent a videotaped message to cockfighters at a fundraising rally this past weekend in McAlester, as the illicit cockfight season is set to resume next week and the Legislature may re-examine pro-cockfighting legislation in the new year. Oklahoma City, OK — Former Governor Frank Keating, former Attorney General Drew Edmondson, and leaders of … Read more
Cockfighting is a known super-spreader of avian diseases, threatening human health and state’s poultry industry Washington, D.C. — Cockfighters are set to start the new cockfighting season around Thanksgiving, according to intelligence gathered by Animal Wellness Action, and that illegal criminal activity coincides with the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) throughout the United … Read more
Press Release Chance Campo, a district leader for the cockfighting front group that donated tens of thousands of dollars to Oklahoma lawmakers to decriminalize staged animal fights and associated crimes, arrested and charged by Carter County law enforcement. Oklahoma City — Carter County prosecutors charged seven men, including a leader of the Oklahoma Gamefowl Commission, … Read more
Arrests come not long after Oklahoma lawmakers turned away attempts to weaken state anti-cockfighting law Washington, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action issues this press release in response to news today that three men were arrested Saturday in Marshall County Oklahoma for illegal cockfighting. According to court documents, Herminio Mendoza, Jamie Bell, and Jackson Bell are … Read more
Sooners see cockfighting as ‘very definition of barbarism and backwardness’ Oklahoma City — Today, Animal Wellness Action, which has been leading the effort to defend State Question 687 from efforts in the Oklahoma legislature to gut its provisions, reacted to a just-released poll from the Sooner Survey. The statistically valid survey of 500 Oklahomans revealed … Read more
Press Release Animal Wellness Action and SHARK provide detailed evidence of ongoing gamecock operations built for raising and selling fighting animals in violation of Oklahoma and United States law Oklahoma City — Animal Wellness Action and SHARK have released a report on the leaders of the so-called Oklahoma Gamefowl Commission (OGC) detailing their unmistakable involvement in … Read more
Press Release Groups note there have been more political donations from cockfighters in 2022 than the total number of cockfighting busts in 20 years Oklahoma City — From 2004 to 2022, there were only 29 law enforcement actions resulting in the arrest of individuals involved in cockfighting, an average of 1.75 busts a year for 75 … Read more
SHARK Releases Video Revealing Operators of Major Cockfighting Complex in Coal County Illegally Shipping Fighting Birds Through U.S. Post Office in Coalgate Oklahoma City — Calling Oklahoma “the cockfighting capital of the United States,” Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy released reports today detailing 1) rampant cockfighting (report available to journalists upon … Read more
Oklahoma City – Rampant illegal cockfighting in Oklahoma threatens to make an outbreak of Avian Influenza (AI) even more menacing, according to Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. The major illegal cockfighting industry in Oklahoma may cause the spread of the disease across Oklahoma and even to foreign nations. AWA has … Read more