Target: Eddie Valero, Tulare County Supervisor
Goal: Enact stricter regulations on chicken ownership to help curb the surge in cruel cockfighting operations.
Rooster fighting has become an increasingly popular method of entertainment in rural communities and Tulare County, California might just be the new epicenter. Several large scale operation cockfighting rings have been busted in Tulare County this past year, and it is likely that many more exist.
In cockfighting, roosters that have been specifically bred for aggression are thrown into an enclosed ring with another bird. The poor animals are forced to fight to the death, as bystanders watch and make bets on who they think will win.
In the ring, animals may suffer from a series of traumatic injuries before dying, including broken bones, punctured organs, or pierced eyes. Fights can last anywhere from seconds to fifteen minutes, and injured birds are made to keep fighting.
Even birds who are not viciously mauled during these events suffer immensely, as they spend their lives physically restrained tied to some sort of stake or barrel, and are injected with a series of steroids and other adrenaline boosters to increase aggressive tendencies. These birds are kept in dark cages for weeks leading up to fights and experience complete sensory deprivation in order to isolate them from one another. Birds that are deemed inferior are killed.
Los Angeles County has taken precautions to reduce the prevalence of these cruel operations in their own backyard. For example, any one individual is limited to owning only 10 birds. If an owner obtains a license to run an animal facility, they can own up to 25 birds, though these facilities are subject to routine inspections.
Sign this petition to demand that the County of Tulare enforce similar regulations on chicken ownership and help to stop this disgusting practice once and for all.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Supervisor Valero,
Tulare County has become a new hotspot for illegal cockfighting, with several underground locations having already been busted this past year and many more likely still in operation. Cockfighting is illegal in all 50 states–and for good reason. Roosters undergo severe physical and psychological trauma, as they are forced to fight each other to the death. Leading up to the fights, roosters are injected with steroids to increase aggression, and are forced to live in isolated, black boxes, deprived of all natural inclinations and behaviors. Cockfighting events also encourage other illegal activities, including gambling and drug use.
Several other counties, including Los Angeles, have already taken steps towards eliminating cockfighting in their own districts. According to a new set of laws enacted in Los Angeles, owners are only able to own up to 10 chickens–25 if they register for a license to run an animal facility. Any animal facility is subject to routine inspections.
We are asking you, Mr. Valero, to take measures towards ending cockfighting once and for all and to enforce similar legislation in Tulare County.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Wilfredor
