Hundreds of Chickens Massacred
 Is Cockfighting really a "thing of the past?"

by Kim K., Pasado's Humane Investigator

Many people think of Cockfighting and Dog Fighting as a “thing of the past”.  I am sad to tell you that such a barbaric and appalling event still takes place.  Not only does this hideous “hobby” still exist, but this “Blood Sport” is more common than you could ever imagine.
 

Pasado’s receives calls, emails and letters every week reporting Animal Cruelty and Neglect and we respond to each and every one doing whatever we can to addresses the situations. 

It was a Monday afternoon when my phone rang. “Over one hundred roosters and chickens were killed on the hillside in a small town near the Oregon border”.  My first feeling was shock.  Even though I get these blood boiling cases far too often, I never get desensitized to this kind of mind boggling cruelty!  Over one hundred animals is so hard to fathom.  When a case comes in, all of the questions begin to swirl in my head.  But the first and foremost is always, what can I do? 

I was on the phone immediately, searching for more information.  After calls to the Sheriff’s department, the Lewis County Animal Shelter and the Department of Health, I had everything in order to go assess the case early the next morning.   

Winlock resident, Tamrick T., was out early on a Sunday morning surveying an area up in the mountains outside of his small town.  Tamrick was shocked when he found what he initially thought was a group of birds nestled asleep.  As he approached, it was quickly clear that these birds were dead.  Continuing down the hill, he couldn’t believe his eyes.  Chickens, roosters and baby chicks, thrown out like trash.  Everywhere he looked was another dead bird. 

Left - Pasado's volunteer with the grim task of collecting the bodies for evidence

This was America's second largest egg producing town until the 1950s.  Winlock still celebrates their history with a festival each year complete with Egg Day and an Egg Day Queen!  Now that fame is only a memory but the town still holds onto its prize possession- the “world’s largest egg” statue that sits in front of the once bustling egg processing plant.

Going through this town, I found it ironic that I was brought here by the massive killing of the once prized mascot.
 

Driving up the windy road, I finally arrived at the steep, clear cut slope that was the scene of the massacre.  As I approached the hillside, there were chickens as far down as I could see.  Looking closer, each of these birds was beautiful and healthy.
 

Each rooster I found had been, "dubbed," a mutilating procedure in which the bird's combs, waddles and earlobes are removed.  This is an extremely painful procedure in which no anesthetic is used.  Scissors are used to chop the animals skin away.  

Dubbing is done to reduce the chances that a bird will bleed into its head or to death during a fight, and some people think it makes a bird look more gaming, or aggressive, in a fight.  Each rooster had also had his spurs cut and sanded down.   

After investigation, photos and interviewing the individual who found the birds, I collected bodies for necropsy.  With a heavy heart, I began my trip back to the sanctuary.  
 

Getting to work at Pasado’s Safe Haven is an honor and a privilege for so many reasons.  The greatest of which for me, is to work in an office surrounded by animals!  One of my most beautiful co-workers, is appropriately named, Beauty.  Beauty is a chicken, and she has taught me the incredible, sweetness and love given by a chicken.  Driving back, all I could think of was, how over one hundred of these “beauties” had been so cruelly wasted. 

A possible connection  is that a Cockfighting operation was busted only 23 miles from this site the night after these birds were found.  Roberto Trejo Magallanes, 38, of Centralia was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail after this raid. See more on that story here.

Pasado’s Safe Haven will continue its work to investigate this case and each other that comes to us.  We work very hard to change and strengthen our Washington State legislation to make these kind of heinous acts receive the appropriate penalties. 

You can help the animals by supporting Pasado's bills.  Watch our website for what you can do to help us strengthen laws for the animals!