39 roosters rescued in cockfighting bust in North Monterey County

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said deputies busted a cockfighting operation in the Las Lomas area Sunday.

Five roosters were found dead and 39 were seized. They are now at the SPCA for Monterey County.

“Animal fighting is a blood sport. It’s a fight to the death,” said Stacie McGrady, a humane officer with the SPCA.

McGrady was called to the scene over the weekend. She said cockfighting is a growing problem in Monterey County and it’s difficult to combat.

“It’s very much a cultural thing. In other states and in other countries it’s more accepted,” said McGrady.

Deputies said they found the fighting ring after hearing a shotgun blast near Clausen Road. When they arrived, 50 to 60 people ran away. No arrests were made.

McGrady said the fighting isn’t the only problem.

“This is a highly competitive sport. There’s a lot of money involved, there a lot of money as far as gambling and drug use,” said McGrady.

Still, she said the future is dim for the roosters as they are not safe to be adopted.

“They are very aggressive roosters. They are not like the kind of roosters you might find at the feed store or that your neighbor has for egg production. It’s just completely different,” said McGrady.