Hunt County Cockfighting Raid: 21 Arrested, Dozens of Roosters Seized

This past weekend in Hunt County there were twenty-one arrests made after the police raided an underground cockfighting ring. It was estimated that there was over 100 people gathered at the illegal event.

The Raid and Arrests 🚨

The Hunt County Sheriff's Office said that they found 10 dead roosters and 65 live roosters. The people that were arrested were charged with violating Texas Penal Code 42.105 Cockfighting. The law prohibits not only the events, but it is also illegal to train the roosters and possess the sharp objects that are attached to the roosters during the fights.

A History of Cockfighting 🐔

There is evidence that the practice of cockfighting goes back as far as 2500 BC in Asia. After that it moved to Europe around 500 BC, and eventually European settlers brought it to America.

Changing Societal Views 🏛️

Cockfighting hasn't always been viewed as negatively as it is now. In fact, it was once even used as a form of entertainment for the elite. People had prized fighting cocks that were sold in the tens of thousands of dollars. However, as society has become more compassionate when it comes to the humane treatment of animals the practice of cockfighting is now widely looked down upon.

Legal Landscape in the US ⚖️

Every state in the U.S. has outlawed cockfighting. The legality of the fights was left up to the individual states, and Louisiana was the last state to outlaw it in 2007.