Police say they got a glimpse into the underground activity of cockfighting when they found a facility on Wood Street in Middleborough that apparently was being used to breed and train roosters.

Police uncovered the suspected cockfighting operation last Wednesday, when they arrested Samuel C. Rodriguez on charges of being a fugitive from justice in New York, where he faces drug charges.

Rodriguez, 46, has been held without bail since his Feb. 2 arrest, and is due in Wareham District Court tomorrow for a motion hearing on the fugitive charge.

As of Monday, no criminal charges had been filed related to the cockfighting allegations.

During the raid last Wednesday, officers from the Middleborough Police Department, New York City Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, Connecticut State Police, and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency searched Rodriguez's home at 287 Wood St. They discovered cockfighting paraphernalia and more than 400 chickens and roosters on the 15-acre gated property.

''We believe he was a supplier for cockfighting enthusiasts," said Middleborough Detective Joseph M. Perkins. ''We don't believe fights were taking place there."

An officer from the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals responded to the scene, but did not file criminal charges or seize the animals, said Perkins.

Middleborough Animal Control Officer William Wyatt said the investigation has been turned over to the MSPCA.

Peter E. Gollub, director of the MSPCA Law Enforcement Department, said it would not be ''appropriate" for him to comment on the case.

In recent years, MSPCA interventions into animal fighting cases have been ''sporadic," said Gollub.

In June 1988, authorities seized 80 roosters from a cockfighting arena in Granville, a small town in Western Massachusetts. At the time, the MSPCA hailed the raid as one of the largest in the organization's history.

Cockfighting is a centuries-old sport in which birds are pitted against each other and spectators bet on the outcome. The birds peck and kick each other with spurs attached to their feet, with the loser often fatally wounded. It remains popular in Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia, the Philippines, and the Middle East.

Massachusetts was the first state in America to ban cockfighting, in 1836. Today, cockfighting is outlawed in every state except Louisiana and New Mexico.

In Massachusetts, participating in a cockfight is a felony, carrying a maximum fine of $1,000 and up to five years in jail. Watching a cockfight is a misdemeanor, with a maximum fine of $250 and up to one month in jail. But the activity continues to thrive in secret locations, with fights staged in barns or soundproofed basements, and spectators drawn by word of mouth.

In 2003, a new federal law toughened the penalties for interstate shipment of birds for cockfighting.

Last week's discovery was reportedly a first for Middleborough, historically an industrial town that has seen its population rise to 19,941 during the area's growth in recent years.

When officers searched the property last Wednesday, police reported finding perhaps 400 roosters and chickens in three coops outside the home.

Some of the birds' chests had been shaven or plucked, said Perkins, which usually signifies a trained fighting bird. They also found a number of dead birds.

''At some point we realized the enormity of the cockfighting issue. We notified the MSPCA . . . they responded, and we were told that they would not be taking any action. They chose not to do anything," said Perkins.

According to documents filed in Wareham District Court, Rodriguez is a native of Puerto Rico who works as auto mechanic. He lives with his wife and son at 287 Wood St., a modest four-bedroom home at the end of a long driveway guarded by a chain-link fence and gate. Property records list his wife, Rochelle Rodriguez, as the owner.

Police officers also found books about cockfighting, a dummy rooster apparently used for training birds to fight, an incubator, and vitamins, Perkins said.

During the search, some of the birds attacked the police officers, Perkins said.

Tucson police arrested nine people on animal-cruelty charges during a weekend cock-fighting bust in which officers seized steel talons, leather straps and more than $500 in cash.

At about 2 p.m. Saturday, police received calls about a large group of people attending a cockfight at a home in the 1300 block of South Ninth Avenue, according to police reports.

Cockfighting is illegal in Arizona.

Several vehicles were parked in front of the house and some people ran when police arrived. Drops of blood and feathers were scattered in the yard and a live rooster was in a closed box.

Officers detained a 15-year-old boy who lives at the house.

He told them that men approached him and asked to have a cockfight at the house, reports stated.

There were already roosters and a group of people there and the boy told police he went inside when the fights started.

Luis A. Molina-Jimenez, 19, is charged with cruelty to animals/poultry and possession of marijuana, both felony counts.

Rene R. Alvarez-Mercado, 20, and Jesus G. Molina-Jimenez, 20, also face felony animal-cruelty charges.

Police said they believe the Molina-Jimenez brothers brought the roosters to the house and Alvarez-Mercado collected the betting money.

William M. Flores, 22, Jose R. Velarde, 24, Israel Mejia, 18, Edgar O. Yepiz, 25, Mario Gonzales, 19, and Luey O. Peinado, 15, all face misdemeanor animal-cruelty charges.

There is one more person being sought in the incident, according to police reports.

Contact reporter Eric Swedlund at 629-9412 or eswedlund@azstarnet.com.

Two Groups Speak Out On Cockfighting

By Sally Maxwell, Managing Editor

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) officials urged Sequoyah County District Attorney Richard Gray last week to prosecute those accused of illegal cockfighting to "the fullest extent of the law."

At about the same time, the Oklahoma Gamefowl Breeders Association (OGBA) was sending out e-mails in support of owning fighting chickens.

The letter from the PETA organization's main office in Norfolk, Va., was signed by Daniel Paden, cruelty caseworker, and referred to arrests made by the county sheriff's office last month.

Noi Xayavongsa, 51, of Van Buren, Ark., and six others were arrested at a barn north of Muldrow.

In a second case last week, the sheriff's office arrested another four people at a home north of Muldrow for having in their possession cockfighting equipment used in the training, handling and fighting of roosters.

Sheriff Johnny Philpot said that when Oklahomans voted to stop cockfighting last year, local residents abided by the law. But now they seem to be returning to cockfighting.

In his letter, Paden asks "that, upon conviction and in addition to the 10 years of incarceration that each (defendant) would ...face, the suspects be barred from all future contact with animals and that any animals who may remain in their respective charges be immediately seized."

He also asks that "the defendants be required to undergo thorough psychological evaluations followed by mandatory counseling at their own expense...." Paden writes that mental health professionals had determined that those guilty of animal cruelty are also a danger to society.

But the OGBA last week shot back by sending out e-mails citing cases in support of owning the birds and equipment.

In the unsigned e-mail the association cites case law and writes, "The (law), although it does outlaw possession of birds with the intent to fight them and prohibits the use of certain equipment in conjunction with cockfighting, nowhere outlaws the mere possession of any property or requires the destruction of any birds or property. Any destruction of avian creatures, or property related to them, is respondents' choice. However, we deem it advisable to note, should respondents or others similarly situated make a choice to destroy their game fowl or gamecocks, we assume any destruction will be carried out in a humane manner and in a way that does not violate any law of the State of Oklahoma or of the United States. We also deem it worth noting that case law seems to have recognized that rather than being only useful for fighting purposes, gamecocks have also been used for show at competitions based on appearance."

The e-mail concludes with, "The OGBA will become a major political force in the state of Oklahoma. We will not back down and we will win."

Do You Get The Feeling The Gamecock Would Be An Extinct Species If Left Up To The Ada Evening News?

Rooster boxing

Sen. Frank Shurden believes he has discovered a fail-safe measure to appease both animal rights activists and game fowl enthusiasts concerning cockfighting — equip the roosters with tiny boxing gloves and electronic sensors. Shurden is so proud of his idea that he assures the new gamecock boxing will generate much-needed revenue to the state. Shurden is so sure of his idea that he believes hundreds of millions of dollars will be generated if the measure is passed this month.

Shurden, who’s best known for his incessant lobbying for castrating sex offenders in Oklahoma, believes gamecock boxing will resemble Olympic boxing or fencing. According to Shurden, the roosters will wear tiny boxing gloves over their natural spurs and tiny vests that will calculate the number of hits each rooster receives. This new nonlethal style of cockfighting will take the “blood” out of the bloodsport, he says.

What the Henryetta Democrat is subtly asking Oklahomans to do is forget the ban on cockfighting that 56 percent of voters approved in 2002. Proponents for the ban believed the sport was a perfect example of animal cruelty — hormone-injected roosters strapped with knifes fighting to the death amid a sphere of illegal gambling. And, apparently, so did the majority of voting Oklahomans.

Game fowl enthusiasts claim the ban has obliterated centuries of tradition and has left their livelihood stagnant. The ban makes it illegal to own cockfighting equipment, facilities or birds used for fighting. A federal law also makes it illegal to transport game fowl across state lines for fighting. Most of the animal owners are left with birds used strictly for breeding purposes. But what’s the point? Cockfighting is only legal in Louisiana and New Mexico. One has to feel slightly sympathetic for game fowl owners losing their livelihood, but their livelihood was slowly torturing and killing animals.

One major factor Shurden may have overlooked in this venture is the sheer embarrassment gamecock boxing would bring to the state of Oklahoma. As of 2002, Oklahoma was one of the few remaining states that allowed cockfighting outside third-world countries. Roosters donning gloves and specially calibrated electronic vests will not help rectify the situation. ...

Most animal rights activists cry foul to Shurden’s plan. They believe he is trying to make a platform to amend the current ban as he has attempted since 2002, rather than trying to boost state revenue.

The panacea to rejuvenate Oklahoma’s revenue is not rooster boxing. Surely Oklahoma lawmakers can devise a better solution.

Ada Evening News

Officials of the New Jersey Network (NJN) for public television have decided to not air a documentary about the burgeoning black bear population in the state. The action came after a one-day campaign waged against the station by animal rights activists who said the program portrayed bears in a bad light.

Four New York bills will make it easier for young people to participate in shooting sports and hunting activities. Youth involvement in outdoor sports is critically important to the future of our outdoor heritage.

Hunting opportunities in Connecticut will increase if legislators approve a Senate bill to allow Sunday bowhunting.

Raid nets evidence of cockfights

Rooster boxing