The recent cockfighting bust in Santa Barbara County should remind us that cockfighting is widespread, even though it is barbaric and a state and federal crime. Authorities seized 58 birds at a cockfighting complex in Lompoc and found equipment used to turn roosters into weapons — metal blades called “slashers” that are attached to their legs so they can slash each other to death. Many of the birds had been mutilated: their combs cut off to reduce bleeding and their spurs trimmed so blades could be attached.
Cockfighting is not a cultural pastime or harmless hobby. It is organized cruelty and organized crime. Birds are forced to fight until they are maimed or killed, often while spectators gamble on the outcome. These operations are frequently linked to illegal gambling, trafficking of fighting birds, and other criminal activity.
Santa Barbara County deserves credit for enforcing its rooster-limitation ordinance and shutting down suspected cockfighting operations before fights occur. But local action alone isn’t enough.