A Felton couple has been arrested and charged with illegal cockfighting by Delaware Animal Services, the enforcement unit within the Office of Animal Welfare.
Delaware Animal Services broke up a cockfighting ring at the couple’s farm on May 6, and the man and woman were charged Friday.
Cockfighting – which involves tying metal knives or “gaffs” onto the legs of aggressive chickens and forcing them to fight in a ring, often to the death – is illegal nationwide. Participating in, gambling on or watching a cockfight are considered felonies under Delaware law.
The cockfight was caught on video by a drone after the activist group Showing Animals Respect and Kindness received a tip about the fight. The group alerted state police, who dispatched an animal welfare officer to the 3000 block of Sandtown Road in Felton.
The Division of Public Health said that the officer saw a cockfight taking place at the farm when they arrived and that attendees fled the scene. Drone footage from Showing Animals Respect and Kindness showed some children in the crowd watching the fight.
Delaware Animal Services obtained a warrant to search the farm and found that the owners host cockfighting events there. The 51-year-old man and his 43-year-old wife, both from Felton, were charged Friday with possessing an animal for the purpose of fighting, a felony.
The woman was also charged with a felony count of being present for animal fighting, according to DPH. Both were released on their own recognizance.
Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on Twitter at @h_edelman.
BACKGROUND:Animal rights advocates warn of cockfighting dangers amid reported fight in Felton
CRIME:34-year-old woman charged with road rage-inspired robbery of man outside Dover Wawa
