Roosters rescued from Pierce County cockfighting ring looking for forever homes
Aug 20, 2024, 5:21 PM | Updated: 5:23 pm
Pierce County deputies and animal control raided a home and rescued more than 140 roosters that deputies said were bred for cock fighting. (Photo courtesy of the Pierce County Sheriff's Department)
(Photo courtesy of the Pierce County Sheriff's Department)
More than 140 roosters rescued from a Pierce County cockfighting ring earlier this month are looking for their forever homes.
The roosters were seized from a house in Buckley on August 1. Officers said the birds were bred, raised, trained and equipped for cock fighting.
Previous coverage: More than 140 roosters seized in Pierce County cockfighting raid
The roosters are now recovering at Heartwood Haven in Roy but the sanctuary needs help finding them safe homes. Heartwood Haven posted on Facebook, eager to find adopters.
The sanctuary said there are 130 roosters available. Kate Tsyrklevich, co-founder and executive director of Heartwood Haven told KING 5 on Monday the animals don’t attack humans and are not aggressive.
“There’s almost no human aggression because nobody who’s a cocker wants to be attacked almost 500 times a day,” Tsyrklevich told KING 5.
She added the roosters can always come back to Heartwood Haven.
“There’s been no rehabilitation that’s occurred here,” Tsyrklevich told KING 5. “We’ve literally had them for two weeks. They get food. They get water. They’ve gotten medication. That’s it. We guarantee to adopters that the roosters are going to be nice to them. They’re going to be nice to your hens, to everyone. If not, they can always come back to the sanctuary.”
Pierce County Sheriff’s Sgt. Darren Moss Jr. told KIRO Newsradio when law enforcement raided the home they found evidence of cockfighting. The captor had also altered some of the roosters by cutting off their crowns and wattles around their neck to prevent them from bleeding heavily during fighting.
Pierce County deputies seized 140 roosters in a cockfighting raid in Buckley. (Photo courtesy the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department)
“We care about animals just like we care about people,” Moss told KIRO Newsradio. “People shouldn’t be treating animals in ways that basically amount to torture.”
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Heartwood Haven is hopeful it can find a home for each bird.
“Unfortunately, there are always more cases waiting for us and we need your help to find these sweet boys a home of their own,” the animal sanctuary wrote in its Facebook post.
Those interested in adopting can visit Heartwood Haven’s website.
Contributing: James Lynch, KIRO Newsradio
Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.
