YELM, Wash. — The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office says 500 roosters bred and raised for cockfighting were found on a property this week in Yelm.
On Thursday, investigators and animal service agencies found the animals while serving a search warrant on a property.
Deputies say dozens of horses and goats were also recovered from the property, suffering from various levels of starvation. The case began after an animal welfare group photographed one emaciated horse on the property.
“In the background of that photograph, you can actually see the barrels and the roosters tethered to the barrels in the background,” said Lt. Mike Brooks with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.
That picture spurred a month-long investigation that included drive-by surveillance operations and photographs taken from above the property. The roosters were found staked up or caged across the property. Upon serving a search warrant Thursday, investigators found the original horse that was photographed deceased, apparently dragged into vegetation, according to court records.
Blade-like weapons that are known to be strapped to fighting roosters were found on the property. Drugs, including one lableled “antibiotics for cockfighting” were also found. Those combined with how the roosters were housed all were consistent with cockfighting, Brooks says.
“They mutilated the birds to enhance their fighting ability,” Brooks said.
Sam Moore, the founder of the Washington State Animal Fighting Task Force, was on scene. She says scenes like this “happen all the time.”
“The biggest thing we see is gambling. Anything to do with money. Unfortunately, we also see a lot of drugs, a lot of guns involves sex trafficking and child endangerment,” Moore said.
Moore says operations usually have thousands of dollars on the line in betting and bloodlines for the birds. She says this was one of the largest busts she has seen in at least four years in the state.
“The bigger the property, the more connections there are, the more things to keep in mind when it comes to other criminal activity,” Moore said.
Moore says more people are reaching out to law enforcement, informing them of concerning situations that have led to more busts that have happened recently. She hopes people can utilize the anonymous tip line part of the Washington State Gambling Commission website.
Joint Animal Services, Regional Animal Services of King County, Pierce County Sheriff’s Department - Animal Control, Mason County Sheriff’s Office, Hooved Animal Rescue of Thurston County, Save A Forgotten Equine - SAFE, Center Valley Animal Rescue and Edmonds Police Department - Animal Control all helped with the investigation.
Other recent cockfighting busts in WA
Buckley
In April 2024, Pierce County Sheriff’s Deputies rescued hundreds of birds – more than 140 of them roosters – from a raid in Buckley. Video shows evidence that the birds were likely being groomed for cockfighting.
Eastern Washington
In August 2024, a bust was made in Eastern Washington. Heartwood Haven, a Pierce County Animal Sanctuary, took about 40 of the birds in. The birds were rescued after the major bust of a cockfighting and drug distribution ring run by La Nuestra Familia, a violent prison gang. Operations were centered in Yakima and Spokane counties, but extended into Louisiana, Colorado and Arkansas.
In May of 2024, Dozens of roosters set to be delivered to a farm animal sanctuary in Pierce County were allegedly shot and killed by Yakima County Sheriff’s deputies and Animal Control after they were seized from a cockfighting ring in the area.
See something? Say something
Washington treats animal fighting as a felony. If you see something suspicious, you can anonymously submit a tip to the Washington State Gambling Commission: https://wsgc.wa.gov/rules-enforcement
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