60 birds confiscated from suspected Mass. cockfighting operation

MSPCA-Angell has seized more than 60 birds from an alleged cockfighting operation in Springfield.

After starting an investigation a few months ago, the MSPCA-Angell investigative team, alongside Massachusetts State Police, executed a warrant at a property on Wednesday, according to a release.

In addition to the birds, investigators also found paraphernalia consistent with cockfighting, including sharp objects that are attached to a rooster’s legs during a fight to cause more serious injuries to its opponent, the MSPCA said.

Cockfighting, which is illegal in the U.S., often results in death or serious injuries to the birds, including punctured lungs, evisceration, broken bones, and eye damage, often for gambling and entertainment purposes, according to the MSPCA.

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