LOUISVILLE -- The head of the U.S. Humane Society is reacting angrily to our latest Target 32 investigation.
The senior vice-president of the U.S. Humane Society, Wayne Pacelle, is calling on authorities to crack down on the state and federal laws that we found are being broken in Kentucky when it comes to cockfighting.
According to Target 32 reporter John Boel, illegal cockfights were once a closely guarded secret in Kentucky, but now they're advertised, publicized, and undisguised.
Boel's investigation found huge arenas, specially made for cockfighting where hundreds of people came to Kentucky from as close as Tennessee and as far away as Michigan.
According to Boel, they're betting and cheering for fighting cocks to slash each other to death with long sharpened metal gaffes or knives attached to their ankles.
"Basically these animals are slowly hacking each other to death, and people are encouraging, witnessing this carnage," Parcelle said.
But what really makes Parcelle mad is that the Kentucky Game Fowl Breeders Association (KGFBA) is advertising its cockfighting derbies across the nation in magazines (pictured, right).
"This group is flouting the law," Parcelle said. They advertise in cockfighting magazines about fights even though cockfighting is illegal in the state. This is not only a violation of state law that prohibits cockfighting, it's a violation of federal law that bars use of interstate instruments to promote fights across state lines."
These matches can last as little as 10 seconds or up to an hour.
They're not televised but we decided to provide tape-delay coverage with hidden cameras, so you can see what's really going on.
Handlers first do this: it's called flirting, to get the birds focused on fighting (pictured, left).
When there is a lull in the pecking and hacking, the referee orders them separated.
The overheated birds need to be cooled down, so trainers blow on their back or sometimes put the bird's entire head in their mouth.
Handlers keep propping their birds up, but at some point, the lifeless loser collapses.
The men shake hands, the winner moves on and the loser gets thrown in the trash with the beer cans.
Boel showed the hidden camera tapes to the man in charge of animal control in Jefferson county. Eric Blow (pictured, right) has has pushed for tougher penalties for dog and cockfighting -- but he knows it's a different world outside of Louisville.
"It's sad. It's certainly a horrible reflection on the entire state. that's one of the things we always hate to see. There's so much about this state that's great, but these kinds of things continue a negative stereotype that we don't need," Blow said.
"The sheriffs are political animals of each of these counties. That's one reason nothing is done. There's 250 - 300 votes right there."
Spectators and trainers try to defend their illegal sport by saying it's better than the way chickens are treated at processing plants.
Blow disagrees. "There's a difference between livestock that is destined for human consumption. There's no one betting and taking pleasure in the death of that animal."
Boel said that they're breaking the law by fighting gamecocks, advertising illegal activity and by not paying taxes on the thousands of dollars pouring in, but the stands are full and the feathers are flying.
"The Kentucky cockfighters and the KYGBA should be shut down," Blow said. "They are engaging in organized criminal conduct. They have a game bird association organized for the purpose of promoting fighting. This is racketeering, organized crime."
Cockfighting is a misdemeanor in Kentucky, punishable by up to a year in jail, and a $500 fine.
Some state lawmakers wanted to beef up the penalty for this kind of thing by making it a felony, but that animal torture bill recently died in committee, never making it to a vote.
The Whitley County Sheriff refused to talk about why it's not busting "Roost Arena," and Kentucky State Police did not comment either..
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