WRITTEN BY: Heide Brandes
In 2002, former Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson led the fight to make the bloody sport of cockfighting illegal in the state of Oklahoma. Now, Edmondson says that “Oklahoma is
indisputably the cockfighting capital of the United States,” despite the state and federal laws.
On Sept. 30, a new campaign to end illegal cockfighting—as well as the abuse of big cats and live-lure Greyhound training—brought together investigations from different animal welfare groups that unveiled Oklahoma’s legacy of animal cruelty.
“Cruelty Isn’t OK” was launched by a coalition of key animal protection groups and advocates, including Edmondson. In recent months, the combined problems have come to light following detailed investigations by Animal Wellness Action (AWA), the Animal Wellness Foundation (AWF) and GREY2K USA Worldwide.
“Oklahoma is a family-friendly state with a growing economy,” said Edmondson, co-chair of the National Law Enforcement Council of AWA and AWF. “We don’t want this good reputation tarred by the presence of persistent animal cruelty in our state.”
In addition to announcing the evidence collected by investigations, the organizations called for the creation of a statewide taskforce to examine improved enforcement of state and federal laws in Oklahoma and policies to fill gaps in the law, particularly when it comes to private ownership of big cats and other potentially dangerous exotic wild animals.
The Cockfighting Legacy
Supplementing its original investigation into illegal cockfighting, AWA and AWF released letters, signed by Edmondson, to the U.S. Attorneys for the Western and Northern Districts of Oklahoma, detailing illegal animal trafficking for cockfighting based in the Sooner State.
In May, the groups wrote to the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma to investigate allegations of ongoing trafficking of birds to Guam for cockfighting and for illegal animal fighting activities.
“I was pleased to participate as attorney general in the legal battle to make sure that the initiative petition making Oklahoma the 49th state to ban cockfighting was upheld in the state Supreme Court. Now, nearly two decades later, it’s still going on. There are still breeders raising fighting birds. I am convinced that not only are they shipping them abroad, but I’m convinced there is still cockfighting going on in Oklahoma.”
Wayne Pacelle, president of AWA, announced an investigation that flagged major exporters of fighting animals to Guam. He said a records request that was made to the Guam Department of Agriculture showed 8,800 fighting birds—under the pretense of being brood and breeding fowl—were shipped from the United States to Guam over a period of three years.
“By far, Oklahoma cockfighters were the number one shippers collectively,” Pacelle said.
Edmondson previously wrote to the District Attorneys for Cherokee, Haskell and LeFlore counties in Eastern Oklahoma to investigate the allegations as well and to bring charges as appropriate. Since the investigative results were handed over to law enforcement in May, there’s been no apparent action taken.
“It’s wrong. It’s a blood sport. It’s vicious and cruel to the animals, and it’s a violation of federal law. So we believe it’s time to take action,” said Edmondson. The group added that the illegal cockfighting activities were not just limited to Eastern Oklahoma but exist throughout the state.
“We are calling for the creation of a special commission on animal welfare. It would consist of the state legislature and animal control experts. We hope that this group will look at animal cruelty issues, narrowly looking at the issues that we have raised and to call on law enforcement agencies at the state and federal level to take action in cases of violations of the law and, again, to fill gaps in the Oklahoma statute,” said Pacelle.
On Sept. 30, the U.S. District Court of Guam ruled in favor of the United States in upholding the federal law banning animal fighting there and in the other U.S. territories. Animal Wellness Action and Animal Wellness Foundation filed amicus pleadings in the case.
Legacy of Live-Lure
This summer, the anti-Greyhound racing group GREY2K USA released a multi-state investigation, centered in Oklahoma, into live-lure training in Greyhound racing. In live-lure training, dog trainers teach Greyhounds to kill rabbits and other small animals to instill a bloodlust in the animals. Oklahoma bans live-lure training, and the Greyhound racing industry has long denied that anyone in the industry uses live lures to prepare Greyhounds for racing.
“Our investigation discovered a deputy sheriff involved in illegal animal cruelty,” said Christine Dorchak, president of GREY2K USA. “The rule of law matters, and it’s important that all law enforcement agencies treat animal cruelty crimes with the seriousness they warrant.”
Dorchak said the investigators saw a total of 45 Greyhounds in Oklahoma trained using small animals to excite a chase instinct in the Greyhounds.
“When this happens, screaming animals are dangled before the hounds, drug in front of them on ropes or simply set loose to be attacked. Over two days, they were observed mutilating and killing live rabbits. And then the dead rabbits were just thrown in a pile afterward. It was absolutely horrific, and it’s business as usual in the industry,” she said.
“Unfortunately, the nexus of this activity seems to be Oklahoma. We found five individuals participating in these illegal acts, and one of them notably is a Haskell County deputy sheriff. He was doing this cruel activity, along with his young daughter, as recently as last year.”
Legacy of Big Cats
More than a month ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture suspended the exhibitor’s license of Jeff Lowe, who operates the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Garvin County. Lowe took over for Joe “Joe Exotic” Maldonado after he began serving a prison sentence for activities that included the illegal killing of tigers. Big Cat Rescue, a Florida-based animal welfare group, took control of the park in early October.
“Oklahoma is one of a handful of states without restrictions on private ownership of tigers, lions and other big cats, and that’s precisely why Joe Maldonado and others have treated Oklahoma as a commercial playground and a stage for their menageries,” said Pacelle in a release.
“Oklahoma was one of the last hold-outs on illegal cockfighting, and it’s one of the last hold-outs on exotic animal ownership. Keeping 350-pound wild carnivores in backyards or basements is a prescription for mayhem.”
Edmondson said the organizations would seek legislation to control the private ownership of exotic animals.
“If those animals are kept in captivity, it should be in legitimate zoos and not in private ownership,” he said. “Not only is it dangerous for the animals and cruel to them, it’s also a danger to the community because they don’t always stay pinned up.”
Joe Exotic and the Netflix series “Tiger King” launched Oklahoma into the global spotlight for being one of the few states with limited control of privately-owned exotic and dangerous animals. Joe Exotic is currently serving a prison sentence for a murder-for-hire charge and on charges that he killed several tigers in his possession.
“This is not the kind of publicity that will attract business and industry to Oklahoma. We are a family-oriented state. We are a decencyoriented state, and we want our laws and policies to reflect the values that we have as Oklahomans. And that does not include cruelty to animals,” Edmondson said.
Animal Wellness Action is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) organization with a mission of helping animals by promoting legal standards forbidding cruelty. The Animal Wellness Foundation is a Los Angeles-based private charitable organization with a mission of helping animals by making veterinary care available to everyone with a pet regardless of economic ability. GREY2K USA Worldwide is the largest Greyhound protection organization in the United States that promotes the adoption of ex-racers and works to pass laws to end the cruelty of dog racing around the world.
