MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade deputies say a call about an “altercation” in the rural Redland area led them to discover not only people fighting ― but roosters, too.
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That led to the arrests of more than three dozen people and the seizure of even more birds, they announced Saturday.
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to 14287 SW 192nd Ave. just after 4 p.m. Friday and found that the people fighting each other were there to watch roosters fight.
Cops saw a “large gathering of people and multiple roosters roaming freely on the property” and people began running away and getting into their cars, an MDSO news release states.
Deputies said they found a person with rooster spurs, “a clear indicator of cockfighting activity at the scene.”
In total, deputies arrested 42 people on various charges, including attending the fighting or baiting of animals and resisting without violence.
“This type of cruelty and illegal activity has no place in our community. Animal fighting is not only inhumane, but it often goes hand-in-hand with other serious crimes,” Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said in the news release. “The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office remains committed to protecting both the people and the animals of our community. We encourage anyone with knowledge of similar activities to come forward.”
Authorities have not yet identified any of the arrestees as of Saturday afternoon; an MDSO spokesperson said the agency expects to release additional details on Monday.
Besides the people, deputies say they netted 72 roosters and seized $39,147 from those involved.