SAN ANTONIO --The cock now crows at Animal Care Services; the 59 roosters were rounded up from an alleged cock-fight.
The colorful creatures were gearing up for the fight of their lives Sunday afternoon, inside a dusty ring in the 15900 block of Henze Road.
But a phone tip to the sheriff cut the event short. Deputies called in ACS to handle the birds.
“Some of the roosters had what appeared to be razors or spurs attached on their r lower legs. And the animals showed some pretty clear injuries consistent with bird fighting,” said Lisa Norwood with Animal Care Services.
Bexar County deputies say gamblers flew the coop when the authorities arrived, some hiding out in the woods around the arena. But the evidence of what was taking place littered the ground: feathers, gambling forms, even admission tickets to the event.
ACS confiscated dozens of boxes and cages used to transport the animals. It’s the second cock-fighting bust in as many months.
Fifteen people were ticketed for illegal gambling before they left this latest event.
“Some of these birds can be worth thousands of dollars. It depends, of course, on their fight record,” said Norwood.
The birds are trained to kill, said ACS workers. And sadly, that’s their fate. ACS will put them down after the investigation is over.
“Unless you can find an organization willing to house them individually for the rest of their lives, there’s not a lot you can do about re-homing fighting roosters,” added Norwood.
