Oakville, Wash. — At least 80 birds were rescued from an animal fighting operation in Grays Harbor County on April 1st; 79 roosters and 1 hen.
The animal sanctuary that has taken them in, Heartwood Haven in Pierce County, is providing medical care and evaluations before putting the birds up for adoption.
“Some of them do have the knuckles cut off and you know scars and broken beaks,” Kate Tsyrklevich with Heartwood Haven said.
Heartwood Haven has taken in hundreds of roosters over the years. This rescue is the 3rd major rescue they’ve been a part of in the past 12 months.
In August of 2024, they took in over 120 roosters after they were rescued in Buckley. Tsyrklevich says animal fighting in Washington has been a big problem in recent years.
“We used to not hear about any cockfighting busts and now there are at least half a dozen every year,” Tsyrklevich said.
With that said, she and Heartwood Haven will continue to do what they can to help animals in rough situations find better homes.
“So I think that the education we are trying to do is so that the public is aware of not only that this is happening but that the survivors are great pets,” Tsyrklevich said.
To learn more on how you can help Heartwood Haven or adopt one of these roosters, click here.
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