Rooster keeping permit does little to stop cockfighting in Monterey County

The rooster keeping ordinance has done little to quell the spate of cockfighting in Monterey County with a cockfighting operation involving 218 roosters discovered in Salinas.

Despite the updated rooster ordinance stating if you have five or more roosters in the unincorporated areas of Monterey County you must have a permit, 218 roosters were discovered at the latest cockfighting operation in Salinas at around 3pm Sunday.

Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is requesting charges with the District Attorney’s office on discovering the roosters after deputies arrived at the 300 block of Addington Rd. in the Boronda area.

On arriving at the cockfighting pit after an anonymous tip, around 15 to 20 people ran away from the deputies.

According to Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Commander John Thornburg, deputies found seven dead roosters and three others injured. Another two roosters were euthanized due to the terrible state they were left in.

“The Sheriff’s Office is requesting charges with the District Attorney’s office for the property owner, Jose Ruiz, who admitted to hosting the fight and allowing people to use his roosters to fight,” Commander Thornburg said.

Several fighting spurs were taken as evidence and the SPCA of Monterey County was called onto the scene.

“Unfortunately we do see cockfighting in Monterey County and often children are brought into these pits where you see illegal gambling and drug use,” said Monterey County SPCA Director of Community Outreach Beth Brookhouser.

“For many years you could own 499 roosters without a permit. Here in Monterey County, it is a haven for cockfighting,” Brookhouser said.