Santa Maria Sun / News

Suspected cockfighting ring busted; 123 fighting cocks likely to be euthanized

BY ROBERT A. McDONALD

Temporary roost The San Luis Obispo County Animal Shelter is temporarily housing 129 roosters captured during a Jan. 31 raid of an alleged cockfighting ring. Animal Services officials said the confiscated birds will most likely be euthanized. PHOTO BY STEVE E. MILLER

Police raided an alleged cockfighting tournament south of Arroyo Grande on the Nipomo Mesa on Jan. 31, sending more than 300 participants fleeing into the adjoining countryside. San Luis Obispo sheriff deputies, Arroyo Grande police, and California Highway Patrol officers moved into the tournament a little after 10 a.m., soon after the four-bird derby—participants are told to bring four fighting roosters—began at the 2100 block of Heidi Place.

Raymond P Gutierrez, 52, of Santa Maria, was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty. A total of 129 fighting roosters were captured, as were 50 people who were suspected of participating in the cockfighting tournament. Six were euthanized due to injury.

San Luis Obispo County has long been thought of as a center of cockfighting in California. There have been periodic police raids of cockfighting rings, including one last year that bagged more than 500 fighting cocks.

The birds confiscated in this raid will likely be euthanized, said Eric Anderson, head of San Luis Obispo County Animal Services.