by BRINLEE VUOLA
Staff Writer
Just 2 days ago on Sunday, police responded to a call about a rooster fight taking place in Strathmore. When they arrived, many people drove off quickly from the scene and left 13 roosters in cages behind, along with other bouts of evidence. Out of all the people that had fled from the scene, one person–Ramon Salazar–was arrested hours later after a traffic stop, caught with 4 roosters in the back of his car with knives tied to their legs. Currently, one another person–Cesar Ramos–is in the process of being found; authorities discovered his wallet with his I.D. and almost $1,500 stuffed inside. All of the roosters on the scene and in Salazar’s car were taken away to animal control for safe-keeping, according to ABC30.com.
But what exactly is rooster fighting? Rooster fighting is an activity where 2 roosters–specifically breeds that are known for their high levels of aggression–are forced in a confined area by humans and fight to the death. Also known as “cockfighting,” this kind of event is deemed extremely illegal in all 50 states, since humans only do so for money or drug-related rewards and put the animals into terrifyingly horrible situations. But people all around the country still host these events secretly in order to gamble and make tons of money. People will go so far as to tie knives to the roosters’ legs and train their roosters months beforehand to fight with extreme aggressiveness, making for a much more violent fight. The ASPCA and police all around the country encourage people to make an emergency call to authorities if they believe a cockfight will be taking place.