Animal rights groups urge federal crackdown on cockfighting, animal cruelty

MOUNT PLEASANT, Texas (KTAL/KMSS) — Animal welfare groups are applauding law enforcement for breaking up an alleged cockfighting ring, but want more done.

After an undercover investigation, Animal Wellness Action and Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) tipped off authorities to a Titus County Cockfighting ring. That tip led to the arrest of the property owner and alleged organizer of the event, Timothy Thompson, 52.

The organizations are now calling for authorities to invite federal officials, as possession of a single fighting animal is a federal felony.

Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, said, “Tim Thompson was running a major cockfighting complex, with a fighting arena, cock-houses, and as many as 500 fighting birds on his property. We applaud the Titus County Sheriff for arresting him, after acting on our tip, and urge them to continue to keep open the investigation and bring charges against the full cast of actors present at the major fighting derby conducted on Independence Day.”

Hundreds of fighting birds allegedly remain on site, leading SHARK and Animal Wellness Action to also request that the property be treated as an active crime scene. “The Mount Pleasant cockfighting complex is the visible part of a sprawling animal fighting syndicate that stretches across state lines and ships fighting birds domestically and internationally. The fighting birds, the fighting pit, the fighting housing, and the digital records should all be treated as criminal evidence and authorities should follow the countless leads that are now available to them,” said Steve Hindi, president of SHARK.

The organizations are also urging Congress to pass the Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act. This bipartisan legislation would enhance enforcement tools for federal agencies to crack down on animal fighting operations. The bill is also supported by the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas and numerous county sheriffs across the state.