PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — For the last two weeks, Heartwood Haven has cared for more than 100 roosters seized from a cockfighting ring bust in Buckley. The nonprofit animal rescue and sanctuary couldn't publicize it was holding the birds for Pierce County Animal Control until the courts officially released them. Now, the work begins to find new, loving homes for the roosters.
"They are trained and traumatized to fight one another," Kate Tsyrklevich, co-founder and executive director of Heartwood Haven, said.
Tsyrklevich said the birds don't attack humans and are not aggressive.
"There's almost no human aggression because nobody who’s a cocker wants to be attacked almost 500 times a day," she said.
Tsyrklevich said she is frustrated with how law enforcement, including the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, routinely calls cockfighting birds "dangerous" or "aggressive." Pierce County Sheriff's Department PIO Sgt. Darren Moss Jr. used those words in a video announcing the cockfighting bust.
"Usually, in a cockfighting ring, the birds are too dangerous to be around people or other birds because of their potential to fight and be aggressive, but in this instance, animal control was able to find shelters that said they'll try to place all these birds in homes. That way, we don't have to destroy them," Moss Jr. said.
"There's been no rehabilitation that's occurred here. We've literally had them for two weeks. They get food. They get water. They've gotten medication. That's it," Tsyrklevich said. "We guarantee to adopters that the roosters are going to be nice to them. They're going to be nice to your hens, to everyone. If not, they can always come back to the sanctuary."
Since last spring, cockfighting ring busts have been in the headlines. Most notably, a Yakima County bust where the sheriff's department ended up killing the birds that were supposed to come to Heartwood Haven. They said they had no choice.
"Now, animal control jurisdictions are not wanting to euthanize birds they've been euthanizing all along. So, you're going to see a lot more cockfighting ring rescues," Tsyrklevich said.
Heartwood Haven has been swamped with requests to take in cockfighting birds from across the country. Tsyrklevich said her nonprofit is the only one willing and able to house more than 100 birds. This is why getting the birds adopted out is a top priority so they can rescue more. You can find the adoption form at this link.