Score One for the Roosters! San Diego County Passes Ordinance to Curb Rampant Cockfighting Activity
Los Angeles Times, August 4, 2011
On September 13, 2011 the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in California voted 4-1 to approve an ordinance aimed at deterring cockfighting and ensuring that chickens are kept in humane conditions by their owners. For example, under the new law it’s illegal to tie roosters by the leg to a stake, a common cockfighters practice.
UPC staff member, Ronnie Steinau, worked diligently in cooperation with the San Diego County Department of Animal Services to propel the ordinance to limit the number of roosters that may be kept by San Diego County residents. Her letter to the editor “Cockfighting: A Concern to Crow About” was published in the San Diego County Tribune and the North County Times. In it she noted that “tethered roosters suffer from abnormal stress and increased susceptibility to diseases” and pointed out that “because cockfighting in California is merely a misdemeanor and not a felony, outsiders flock to our communities to stage these illegal activities.” Clearly a felony law against cockfighting is needed in California. For more information, go to www.upc-online.org/cockfighting on our Website.