JURUPA VALLEY – (INT) - Hundreds of spectators fled when sheriff’s deputies broke up an illegal cockfighting event in Jurupa Valley over the weekend.

Several dead and injured birds were removed from the property on Troth Street and 143 more were euthanized.

One individual claimed ownership of the birds and relinquished them to animal control officers. He was cited for a misdemeanor possession of cock fighting blades used in such events.

Riverside County animal services said in a statement that the birds were euthanized because “they are valuable and they would almost always end up back in a cockfighting ring. They are not suitable as pets.”

Story Date: August 13, 2022