SALEM, Ohio — Over 200 animals were recently discovered as part of a cockfighting operation in Sheffield Township in Lorain County, Ohio.
The Friendship Animal Protection League, a non-profit humane society and animal shelter in Lorain County, raided the operation on Feb. 28 after receiving a tip-off from a local law agency.
The organization seized a total of 240 animals, including 131 roosters, 97 hens, five rabbits, three dogs and four pigeons. The roosters were found with razor blades, known as gaffs, attached to their legs, which can cause severe injury, including death, when fighting.
Gaffs are common in cockfighting and are one of three styles of this illegal practice, said Wayne Pacelle, founder of Animal Wellness Action, a Washington D.C. organization that fights against animal cruelty.
In addition to cockfighting, Vickie McDonald, chief humane officer at the Friendship Animal Protection League, says there were other animal neglect violations found on the property,
The animals are currently in the FAPL’s custody and are being housed at its animal shelter as well as various partner organizations. The owner of the animals, Javier Oyola, was recently identified at a probable cause hearing where he forfeited the animals. Oyola, from Puerto Rico, said he had the roosters because he has a big property and likes animals, as reported by a local TV station.
McDonald says there are likely others involved in the cockfighting operation. The investigation is ongoing and under review for criminal charges. Cockfighting is common throughout the United States despite being illegal in all 50 states. According to McDonald, cockfighting is especially rampant in the Midwest and Southeast regions of the country.
The FAPL raided two other cockfighting operations in Lorain and Huron County the week of Feb. 24, said McDonalds. Cockfighting is also often linked to other types of criminal activities: “It’s a cluster crime,” Pacelle said. “You don’t see just illegal animal cruelty. You see gambling, which is illegal in this form. You see narcotics, illegal weapons, money laundering, human trafficking and prostitution.”
As non-profits try to crack down on cockfighting, Ohio legislators are working on bills to make catching perpetrators easier. This includes the bipartisan Animal Enforcement Act, introduced by Republican Rep. David Joyce of Ohio, representing District 14, and other representatives on Feb. 21. The bill would establish an Animal Cruelty Crimes Section at the U.S. Department of Justice.
“The ACE Act will improve the federal government’s ability to crack down on animal cruelty and hold perpetrators accountable in a timely, efficient manner,” said Joyce in a statement sent to Farm and Dairy.
However, McDonald says the best way to stop cockfighting now is for people to speak up if they suspect animal cruelty.
“We’d much rather receive a call that ends up being unfounded just because someone felt the need to call than for people to not say anything,” McDonald said. “If you think you’re observing a violation or an animal cruelty crime, then you should report it to your local humane authorities.”
(Liz Partsch can be reached at epartsch@farmanddairy.com or 330-337-3419.)
