SILVERTHORNE — Arrest warrants have been issued for the four men caught transporting roosters across state lines and through Summit County earlier this year, alleging the birds were raised for cockfighting.
On May 15, four men were pulled over by Colorado State Patrol along Interstate 70 near Silverthorne due to driving with unreadable temporary tags on their truck. State Patrol troopers discovered something suspicious almost immediately. The men had packed 33 roosters inside the truck in homemade wooden boxes measuring 7 inches in width and height and 14 inches long. The roosters were without water and food, according to a statement from the Fifth Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
The birds were taken into the care of Summit County Animal Control and Shelter, where the animals were examined, and it was determined they were raised for cockfighting. The four men listed in the warrants are Cody Lance Smith, 28, of Kentucky; Kenneth D. Dotson, 29, of Kentucky; Austin Clanton, 26, of Tennessee; and Jose Saltos Jr., 42, whose hometown was unverified.
The men have been charged with animal fighting, a class 5 felony, and misdemeanor cruelty to animals. The felony charge is punishable by up to three years in prison. Once arrested, the men will be able to post a $5,000 bond set by Judge Edward Casias, according to a news release.
“Cock fighting is a very brutal sport that is outlawed in every state,” District Attorney Bruce Brown said in a statement. “Animals rely on us for their daily care and are not to be used as instruments of death for sports-betting pleasure.”
Of note, officials from the District Attorney’s Office said there was no direct information tying the accused to any actual cockfights, though possession or transportation of roosters knowing they will engage in fighting is considered criminal conduct. According to the Colorado Revised Statutes (18-9-204), no person can encourage a fight between two animals, determined by if an individual “owns, trains, transports, possesses, breeds, sells, transfers, or equips an animal with the intent that such animal will be engaged in a fight.”
The Summit County Animal Shelter initially was hopeful the birds could be adopted out or re-homed to other shelters, but officials ultimately decided against the move based on the recommendation of the state veterinarians office and experts with Colorado State University.
Dr. Keith Roehr, the state’s veterinarian with the Colorado Department of Agriculture, said cases involving game birds often deal with fighting, and she noted the birds presented an “elevated risk” of a variety of avian diseases that made it impossible to place them with bird rescues or into other facilities around the state.
The Summit County Animal Shelter cared for the roosters for about three weeks. On June 4, the birds were euthanized and tested for avian diseases under the supervision of a veterinarian from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services.
Editor’s note: This story will be updated as more information becomes available.