Over 130 roosters, several other animals removed from alleged cockfighting operation in Ohio

LORAIN COUNTY, Ohio — Over 200 animals were seized from an alleged cockfighting operation in Ohio, according to a spokesperson with the Friendship Animal Protective League (FAPL) Humane Investigation Department.

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>>PHOTOS: Over 130 roosters removed from alleged cockfighting operation in Ohio

Agents conducted a search warrant at a property in Sheffield Township, north of Elyria, on Feb. 28.

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131 game roosters, several fighting pits, and cockfighting paraphernalia like “gaffs,” were found on the property, according to the spokesperson.

Gaffs are razor-sharp blades attached to the roosters’ legs while in the fighting ring.

When agents arrived on scene, the suspects were reportedly dubbing some of the roosters.

The spokesperson said this is when people remove the rooster’s “fleshy waddles, combs, and earlobes to limit blood loss during a cockfight—making the fight last longer.”

Agents also seized 97 hens, five rabbits, three dogs and four pigeons.

These animals “were also being kept in violation of animal welfare laws, including being housed in unsanitary conditions with adequate food and/or water,” the spokesperson said.

A probable cause hearing will be scheduled to determine where the animals will live as the investigation continues.

Three days prior, agents investigating a different cockfighting operation conducted a search warrant and seized 21 roosters.

“Cockfighting is extreme animal cruelty and we have no tolerance for this inhumane crime,” FAPL’s Executive Director Gregory Willey said. “Not only does cockfighting harm innocent animals, but it places our community as a whole at risk due to its links to drugs, gambling, violence, and communicable disease, such as bird flu.”

It is unclear if anyone has been arrested or charged in this investigation.

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