A deadly blood sport has forced the SPCA in B.C. to kill off more than 1,200 roosters.
The birds were killed after police allegedly broke up one of the biggest cockfighting rings in Canadian history. They were taken after raids on three properties in the Fraser Valley, southeast of Vancouver. Seventeen SPCA staff members took half the day to euthanize the 1,270 birds, which had to be destroyed by law once it was determined they were used for cockfighting.
"It angers me that all these birds had to lose their lives in the name of sport," Eileen Drever, a spokesperson for the SPCA's Senior Animal Protection Office, told reporters Friday.
Critics say the so-called sport is a vicious spectacle where birds have knives and blades tied to their legs.
"The suffering that these birds go through in the ring is absolutely unacceptable,'' said the SPCA's Marcie Moriarty at a press conference.
"And it is not entertainment.''
The Mounties began the investigation into the cockfighting ring in April 2006 after a tip to the SPCA. The SPCA says the sport is often linked to gambling. According to SPCA officials, bets as high as $5,000 dollars can be placed on individual fights. But police note, it's not easy to enter the world of cockfighting.
"These people go (to the fights) by invitation only," RCMP Const. Annie Linteau said.
"It's difficult to infiltrate."
The SPCA believes up to 30 people were involved in the alleged cockfighting operations busted this week. But charges are pending against only one suspect, a 58-year-old man, who lived at one of the properties under investigation.
Even if the man is charged and convicted, he faces a relatively light sentence. The maximum sentence may be only six months in jail and a $2,000 fine.
"It's an absolute slap on the wrist. We're quite upset with the way the Criminal Code is now . . . we need more effective legislation,'' Moriarty said.
Light sentences are not the only problem with the law, say critics. They note that it is difficult for police or animal protection officials to confiscate birds if they don't find a cockfighting pit on a property.
B.C.'s agriculture minister says he wants to change that with an amendment in the coming weeks to the province's Cruelty to Animals Act.
"It will give the SPCA the powers necessary, really, to deal with the difficult situations like we've seen in Surrey the past number of days," said Pat Bell.
"We want to take decisive enforcement action and this new set of rules will really allow the SPCA far more flexibility in dealing with those situations."
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Shannon Paterson and files from The Canadian Press
