WA animal sanctuary turns to public for help rehoming cockfighting roosters
ROY, Wash. - Local animal sanctuary, Heartwood Haven, is leading the charge when it comes to changing the public’s perception of roosters rescued from cockfighting rings.
Earlier this year, FOX 13's investigative team helped the rescue organization shine a spotlight on the harsh reality of these criminal enterprises in Washington state.
This investigation led to the discovery of 64 roosters who were shot and killed by authorities from the Yakima County Sherriff's Office even though Heartwood Haven had agreed to take in and rehome the battered birds.
Since the story aired on FOX 13, multiple law enforcement agencies have reached out to Heartwood Haven asking if they can take in and rehome hundreds of roosters from recent busts.
Excited by the positive change, staff at the sanctuary are working round the clock to find new homes for the birds, but they need the public to help them make it happen.
"If you have a farm, or if you're zoned to have roosters, please apply to adopt a rooster. If you don't have a farm, and you can't adopt a rooster, please donate. These rescues take a lot of resources to save these guys" said, Kate Tsyrklevich, the executive Director, and Co- Founder of Heartwood Haven
Spurred by the tragedy in Yakima, Tsyrklevich has been working hard to change the common belief that these abused animals cannot be rehomed because they are mean or aggressive. "These roosters are not human aggressive," said Tsyrklevich while holding one of her farm's roosters. "They are trained to fight other roosters, so that’s what they do, most of the time they are scared of humans," she said.
Forced to fight and often severely mutilated, these birds live a tough life. Even when law enforcement steps in to break up these illegal animal fighting rings it often leads to euthanization, not salvation. Thanks to Heartwood Haven's hard work, that is beginning to change.
"What's happening now is that we're probably seeing all the birds that normally would be euthanized, but now the animal control officers don't want to kill them, either because of the public perception, or because they realize that, 'hey, maybe there's a better way here,' and before they weren't aware." said Tsyrklevich.
"We want to push the envelope in terms of what people think is possible. Because if everybody looks at this cockfighting bust with 100 roosters or 200 roosters, and says, it's not possible. I could never do it. And then Heartwood Haven goes and does it. It shows everyone that, hey, this is possible, if we can take in 120 roosters and have them rehomed within a month. You know, others can do it too, and at the very least, they can take in a few"
If you’d like to help Heartwood Haven by adopting a rooster or through a donation, click here. If you end up adopting a rooster, please send us pictures or video of you with your new feathered friend so we can feature you in an upcoming segment.
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