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Canada: RCMP, BC SPCA execute warrant to bust Canada’s largest cockfighting ring
(BC SPCA) – Following a lengthy investigation by the RCMP’s Integrated Illegal Gaming Enforcement Team, the RCMP and the BC Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have executed a warrant on the largest cockfighting ring ever discovered in Canada. The investigation involved 1,270 fighting birds and more than 80 exhibits of evidence gathered from three separate properties in the Cloverdale area of Surrey.
“We hope that as a result of this large-scale investigation, horrific cases like this are decreased or eliminated in B.C. and that this sends a strong message to other individuals involved in the illegal fighting of animals that they will be caught,” said Marcie Moriarty, general manager of the BC SPCA’s Cruelty Investigations Department.
The warrant was executed over a 21-hour period, from 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 27 to 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28 by a 17-member BC SPCA team, including special constables, emergency personnel, veterinary staff and farm animal specialists as well as 11 RCMP officers and three Surrey bylaw officers.
“On two of the properties we found five fighting pits, 1,270 fighting birds tethered to barrels, as well as a wide range of paraphernalia associated with cockfighting,” said Shawn Eccles, BC SPCA Chief Animal Protection Officer. “The evidence collected included boxing muffs, the spurs or gaffs used to slash opponents, scorecards used to record the win/loss records of individual breeders, needles, syringes and other medications used on injured birds, scales and agitators – a feathered mock-up of a bird on the end of a stick which is used to agitate birds and encourage aggression.” He noted that several of the birds were suffering from injuries such as infected cuts, missing eyes and head wounds.
“The most horrific part of the warrant was having to euthanize every single one of the roosters on the property,” said Eccles. Under Section 447(2) of the Criminal Code of Canada, if a cockpit is discovered, all of the roosters on the property must be seized and a judge must order their destruction. “This was heartbreaking for the SPCA officers as our whole mission is about saving animal lives,” said Eccles. “Euthanizing animals is incredibly emotional and to have to do this on such a large scale goes against everything we stand for as an animal protection society, but we are required by law to do it in this case.” He notes that the only solace for the SPCA officers was knowing that the birds would not endure further suffering, and ultimately a gruesome death, in the fighting ring. “There are no winners in a barbaric gambling operation like cockfighting,” says Eccles. “There is only violence and suffering.”
More than 50 fighting birds were found on a third property involved in the warrant, but because no cockpits were found on that site, the BC SPCA had no legal authority to remove the birds.
A BC SPCA investigation against multiple individuals suspected in the case continues and charges of animal cruelty under the Criminal Code and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act are pending. In addition, the SPCA seized 19 animals in distress from the properties — 12 pigs, six goats and one sheep. PCA charges are pending with regard to these animals.
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The BC SPCA is a non-profit organization funded primarily by public donations. Our mission is to prevent cruelty and to promote the welfare of animals through a wide range of services, including cruelty investigations, emergency rescue and treatment, sheltering and adoption of homeless and abused animals, humane education, advocacy, farm animal welfare, spay/neuter programs, and wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.
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