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Animal Wellness Action Issues Statement About Cockfighter Convicted of Animal Cruelty

Washington, D.C.  — Today, Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy issued a statement on news that a San Bernardino man was convicted as charged with four misdemeanor counts related to cockfighting and animal cruelty.

Pedro Vasquez, 66, was in possession of 400 roosters with the majority for cockfighting. The animals were in poor health without adequate food, water or shelter and had telltale signs of being groomed for the fighting ring with their wattles, combs and earlobes removed and their spurs cut. Several had injuries and two died of heat stroke, according to a detailed press release by the San Bernardino District Attorney’s office. 

One of the many birds found in poor condition. San Bernardino District Attorney’s office

Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action, issued the following statement:

“This verdict disables a cockfighter from putting living creatures in a setting where they’d be  hacked to death in a fighting pit. Cockfighting is not only barbaric, but also bound up with illegal gambling, narcotics trafficking, and other criminal activities. Cockfighters need to understand that when they decide to violate our anti-cruelty laws, there can be life-changing consequences.”

Eric Sakach, an animal-fighting consultant with Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, and a national court-certified expert on animal fighting, also weighed in on the enforcement action and trial outcome:

“San Bernardino County did a great job securing evidence to show that this backyard breeder is clearly a cockfighter who doesn’t care about the health and welfare of his birds or his community.”

Both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate have issued the Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act, and the authors hope to include the provision as an amendment to the Farm bill. Both pieces of legislation were driven by concerns for the barbarism of animal fighting, other criminal behavior comingled with it, and disease threats to poultry posed by transporting fighting roosters.

The FIGHT Act, amending Section 26 of the Animal Welfare Act, would enhance the enforcement opportunities by banning simulcasting and gambling of animal fighting ventures;

Animal Wellness Action is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) whose mission is to help animals by promoting laws and regulations at federal, state and local levels that forbid cruelty to all animals. The group also works to enforce existing anti-cruelty and wildlife protection laws. Animal Wellness Action believes helping animals helps us all. Twitter: @AWAction_News

Center for a Humane Economy is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) whose mission is to help animals by helping forge a more humane economic order. The first organization of its kind in the animal protection movement, the Center encourages businesses to honor their social responsibilities in a culture where consumers, investors, and other key stakeholders abhor cruelty and the degradation of the environment and embrace innovation as a means of eliminating both. The Center believes helping animals helps us all. Twitter: @TheHumaneCenter