Prominent in the history of many nations, cockfighting has largely been outlawed in western countries, with only a few localities refusing to outlaw the much reviled bloodsport. In Canada, participating in this dubious sport could land you some serious time in the pen.
Cockfighting is a gaming institution in much of the world. It is commonly practiced in many areas, notably throughout parts of Asia and South America. The tradition stretches back hundreds of years, even in the United States and Britain and is sometimes referenced in literature and makes appearances in popular culture, such as the “Little Jerry” episode of Seinfeld.
The sport typically involves two cocks that are placed in a ring–called a cockpit–where they are forced into contact with one another. The game thrives on cocks’ natural tendency to be aggressive with one another, so when they are placed in a confined area the fight is inevitable. To aid in this process, the cocks are specifically bred to be extremely aggressive and receive a strict training regime from the time they are young so in order to be powerful enough to overcome other cocks. Exacerbating the ferocity of the sport is the typical practice of filing the cock’s spurs into sharp edges or fixing blades or spikes to the feet and legs. The birds can sustain many injuries from a fight, including broken bones and punctured eyes but the mortality rate is very high–often at least one of the birds perishes, sometimes both. Should a cockfighting operation be uncovered, the cocks are most often euthanized.
“Animals bred for animal fighting are often trained to be aggressive to other animals, so rehabilitation for these animals is generally not an option,” says Humane Society of the United States public relations specialist Nadya Vera. “The training methods are absolutely horrific. These animals are trained to be the worst they can be and it’s not their fault. It’s humans and they’re doing it for gambling and entertainment.”
Cockfighting is illegal throughout most of the U.S., where in some states it is a felony offence and others a misdemeanour. It remains legal in Louisiana, where it will not be criminalized until Aug. 2008.
“At the same time, gambling is illegal and with cockfighting, the reason people do it now is gambling,” says Vera. “Technically, you can have cockfighting in Louisiana, but if so much as a single dollar exchanges hands [the activity has become criminal].”
Despite the penalties threatened, cockfighting remains a common occurrence. Vera noted that estimates place the number of Americans engaging in the activity in the tens of thousands.
“Because there are illegal operations, there are no real statistics,” said Vera. “People who go to these often pay a fee to get in and gamble.”
Cockfighting is also associated with other crimes, largely due to the gambling aspect. Because of the amount of money changing hands at the events, the appearance of handguns at events is common. Drug offences, too, are a serious concern–the cockfighting fact sheet on the Humane Society of the United States’ website suggests that many cockfighting operations are uncovered through narcotics investigations.The popularity of the sport in the U.S. is still so rampant that there are magazines devoted to it, though these are no longer distributed freely.
“Early last year, there was a federal law that was passed and in essence it made animal fighting a federal offence,” said Vera. “Because that law passed, [the Humane Society of the United States was] able to get many companies that sold magazines and videos to stop selling dog fighting and cockfighting magazines.”
A problem developed, however. One major retailer continued to sell cockfighting magazines, so the Humane Society filed a suit against them. While the legal process is underway, the retailer continues to offer these products.
Cockfighting is also illegal throughout Canada. The criminal code has two separate provisions outlawing the practice. The first is section 446, which deals with cruelty to animals, and the second is section 447, which specifically addresses the operation of a cockpit. There is also an Alberta statute criminalizing the brutal undertaking. Recently, though, a major operation was uncovered in Surrey, British Columbia, resulting in the termination of 1,270 birds. Cockfighting rings are often found in rural areas, where it is easier to hide the spectacle from law enforcement officers, making such a large operation in an urban area strange.
Luckily, there has not been a reported case of cockfighting in Alberta since 1993. At the time, a man residing on the outskirts of Calgary was charged with violating the criminal code when what appeared to be a cockpit was discovered on his property.
“We were investigating a chicken hoarding case [where there were numerous chickens living in the house], but we found cockfighting paraphernalia in an out building,” said Calgary Humane Society spokesperson Cheryl Wallach. “The challenge we had was getting enough evidence of the cockfighting actually happening.”
The barn in which the alleged cockpit was located also housed numerous cocks, one of which was necessarily destroyed due to injuries. The defendant–who admitted to admiring cockfighting but denied participating in it–was found not guilty due to reasonable doubt.
Despite its illegality in much of the developed world, cockfighting continues to be a strong and legal entertainment option in many other countries. In Puerto Rico, for example, it is regulated by the government and there are official arenas. This type of acceptance is, surprisingly, still rampant across the globe.