40 roosters seized, 2 arrests in cockfighting raid

VINDICATOR EXCLUSIVE

By JOE GORMAN

jgorman@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

45 roosters seized in cockfighting raid

Gallery

Search warrant at East Side home leads to 2 arrests.

Police and humane agents Thursday seized more than 40 roosters from a home on the East Side that has been suspected of hosting cockfights for some time.

Members of the Vice Squad and Community Police Unit along with Animal Charity descended on the home at about 3:30 p.m. in the 2100 block of Ives Avenue.

Cockfighting is a misdemeanor crime that carries a maximum fine of $250 and 30 days in jail. Ohio lawmakers, however, have proposed a bill to make it a felony.

Officers also found an ounce of suspected heroin, which is valued at about $1,400, said Lt. Gerard Slattery, head of the vice squad, and a small amount of suspected cocaine. Two men were taken into custody on drug charges, and other charges, including animal cruelty, may be added later.

Detective Sgt. Pat Kelly, head of the CPU, said police have known about the operation at the home for some time. Kelly said they have been having fights there on Sundays for at least six months, often attracting so much traffic the street was shut down.

An anonymous letter delivered to The Vindicator last week and turned over to police said a new shipment of roosters recently had arrived at the home.

Kelly said that letter helped police to get a warrant to search the home Thursday.

Stefanie Boggs of Animal Charity said steroids and razors were found in the home and a heated garage where the roosters were being kept. She said needles for injecting drugs into the roosters also were found. There also were drugs to help stop bleeding and bandages as well. The home is equipped with security cameras.

At least 25 of the roosters had shaved legs, a sign that they have fought or were being prepared to fight, Boggs said. Boggs said the legs are shaved so the razors can be attached to them for fighting.

“They [roosters] either fought or they were getting them ready for fighting,” Boggs said.

She said it also appeared the roosters were not well cared for. When water was brought to them, they immediately went after it, Boggs said.

“I don’t think they had a lot of water,” Boggs said.

Also recovered was a 2-foot trophy that was imprinted with “Segundo Lugar Pelea Mas Rapida Gallera de Pipo,” which translates to “Second place fastest cock fight.”

Boggs said, based on her experience, the ring being run out of the home was a pretty large one.

Kelly said it is not unusual to find drugs at the scene of a cockfighting operation. “They go hand in hand,” he said.

Police and humane agents had to chase some of the birds in the garage that were not collared right away and they put up quite a racket.

Also seized by humane agents were two dogs, a small dog that was tethered to a pole in the basement and a larger dog that was outside next to the garage that looked to be undernourished and shivered in the cold until a humane agent put it in a van.

The roosters were to be taken to the Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary in Ravenna. The dogs are being held at the Animal Charity offices on Market Street in Boardman.

Boggs said she did not have time to do a thorough examination of the roosters. She said a more in-depth exam will be done at Happy Trails.

Two dead roosters also were found in the garage.