Animal welfare group releases list of reported cockfighting arenas around Kentucky

Animal welfare groups on Tuesday released a list of what they say are several known cockfighting arenas in Kentucky and called on law enforcement to further pursue the illegal practice in a state that remains key to cockfighting worldwide.

In the last three years, members of the group Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) have documented 16 reported cockfighting pits in Kentucky through drone footage or undercover investigations. Some of the documented arenas are no longer active but SHARK said they flew a drone over an alleged cockfighting event in Magoffin County as recently as this past weekend.

The group alerts law enforcement when they find ongoing cockfighting events, said Steve Hindi, the president of SHARK. The response from police hasn’t been uniform, Hindi said, noting that the Kentucky State Police post in Richmond have taken action on the calls while the group has documented four different cockfighting pits in the jurisdiction of Post 9 in Pikeville.

“The reason that there’s so many cockfight pits in Post 9’s area is that they absolutely will not do anything,” Hindi said.

KSP did not immediately respond to a request for comment on SHARK’s findings.

Cockfighting is a misdemeanor offense under Kentucky law, a less stringent penalty than in several surrounding states, said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action, another animal welfare group that joined SHARK in a press conference on Tuesday.

Many of the cockfighting arenas the groups have documented are near Kentucky’s borders because they likely attract out-of-state visitors, Pacelle said.

“In addition to the fighting pits, which is where the cruelty occurs,” Pacelle said, “it’s also important to note that Kentucky is a hub for cockfighting traffickers. There are people who raise hundreds or thousands of fighting roosters every year for sale for cockfighting.”

The roosters are sold domestically and overseas. BNTV, a cockfighting broadcasting company based in the Philippines — where the practice is very popular — aired interviews with six different Kentucky-based breeders, a report from Animal Wellness Action showed.

“While there’s been some progress on this issue, Kentucky remains central, not just to the national cockfighting industry, but to the global cockfighting industry,” Pacelle said.

The Center for Humane Economy, another animal welfare group, noted in the press conference that the illegal smuggling and breeding of cockfighting roosters can expose commercial and backyard poultry to diseases that can be fatal to the birds. The group released their own 63-page report on the disease risks related to cockfighting.

Cockfighting isn’t new to Kentucky. In 2014, federal authorities broke up what was thought to be one of the most lucrative cockfighting rings in the country. The venue, which investigators said had arena-style seating and a full-service restaurant, was in Floyd County.

Federal law prohibits the possession, training or delivery of animals for the purpose of fighting. Nearly a year ago, federal authorities unveiled charges against 17 people allegedly linked to cockfighting arenas in four Kentucky counties. The groups praised the work of law enforcement in those cases and called for more action.

“We need the rule of law enforced,” Pacelle said. “The only reason that these people are maintaining physical structures, or having 2,000 birds in a cockpit yard is they somehow think that they’re above the law.”