Cockfighting

Very recently on June 11th, more then 100 men were chased and rounded up for the illegal act of cockfighting at a farm in the Gulf Kingdom. Many ran away knowing that their acts of cruelty towards these animals were completly illegal.

Cock fighting is a blood sport in which two or more roosters are thrown into a ring where they are forced to fight till the death for the "amusent" of the onlookers. Birds, in they're natural environment fight naturally for things such as food, space and mates, ect, but in this environment the only reason the birds keep on fighting is because they have no way to flee the scene. There is really nothing natural about how the birds are raised and treated before they go out to fight.

"Battle stags" are roosters the age of 2 or under, and "battle cocks" are those older then the rest. These birds are born and raised for the sole purpose of cockfighting on so called "game farms." These breaders kill the birds whom they think are inferior so that their flocks stay geneticly superior with birds who are "game" (or in other words - willing to fight.) These birds then spend the rest of their lives attached by one leg to whatever is intended to be they're shelters... which in most cases stand as over turned rain barrels or small wire cages. When these birds are not fighting they are being forced to walk around with weights attached to their tiny legs and are also forced to "practice fights" with other roosters. Before they enter the Fighting Ring, most birds are plucked of their feathers, and their wattles are chopped off. This is basically done so that the roosters are unable to do so during the fight and are also unable to stay cool.

WHAT HAPPENS AT THESE FIGHTS?
Not only is cock fighting a crime, but many  illegal acts are performed at these battle of the birds. Gambling- involving very large sums of money, firearms- sometimes used in a very violent maner, illegal drugs- which are often found at these fights and just the enthusiasm for blood shed which is quite disturbing in my opinion.

DISEASE THREATS
Cock fighting is believed to have been the cause of as many as 8 cases of bird diseases contracted by the bird's owners after the fight, often as a result of comming in contact with the birds blood throughout the fighting. Another great threat to common bird diseases are the illegal transportation of these birds, which are a cause of outbreaks in the united states. An example of this happening is the 2002 Exotic Newcastle disease epidemic in California.

Many states in the US have now made this activity a felony. Even attending these fights are illegal, since you are supporting this obscene so called "sport" .