Nearly 600 Pit Bulls & Roosters Seized From Animal-Fighting Raid, Suspect in Custody

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Just because it’s not in plain sight, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening in a neighborhood near you. Dog and cock fighting are more common in America than you may know.

Nearly 600 animals, pit bulls and roosters, were rescued across two Indiana counties in May 2019, according to a report by NBC News. An animal fighting investigation got started after authorities received a tip, via Crime Stoppers, that animals were being trained for fighting in a home in Morgan County.

The Indiana Gaming Commission conducted searches in the residence, which belonged to one Martin Anderson from Camby. He was taken into custody at Morgan County Jail. They seized one pit bull at the scene, the Indianapolis Star reported.

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However, the search extended to another property, a farm located in Owen County, where over 550 roosters were found, along with nine pit bulls. The dogs were restrained with heavy chains and were “housed in a manner consistent with dogfighting,” stated a press release from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). They assisted authorities in the rescue operation.

The roosters showed “physical alterations” that were consistent with cockfighting, the ASPCA stated.

Animal-fighting paraphernalia was also found on the scene of both properties.

“We don’t have anything at this point that leads us to believe that there is fighting going on here,” said Indiana Gaming Commission superintendent Rob Townsend. “Basically we have the tip that they’re being raised for the purpose of fighting and that’s why we acted.”

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Currently, Anderson is facing at least one count of purchasing animals to be used in an animal fighting contest. If convicted, he could face up to two-and-a-half years in prison, plus a $10,000 fine, FOX 59 reported.

“There’s no place in Indiana communities for animal fighting and the illegal gambling that goes with it, and we are very pleased that we were able to shut down this operation,” stated Townsend in the press release.

The seizure is of average size, says Townsend, but the number of animals could still overwhelm both his agency and local shelters, FOX 59 reported.

The seized animals were taken to a temporary shelter at an unnamed location, Jessica Rushin, a senior manager of Partnerships with ASPCA, told NBC.

“Animal fighting is one of the most heinous forms of animal cruelty, and sadly it is far more common in the United States than many people realize,” she added in a statement. “To betray animals by forcing them to fight for their lives for so-called entertainment is despicable.”