18 fighting birds seized in Kensington

The group of sturdy, tough athletes got almost everything they needed from their coaches.

Top-notch accommodations. The best in nutrition. Guaranteed work.

If only they could talk, the 18 roosters found by authorities in a raid Saturday afternoon might have asked their owner-coaches to relieve them of their cockfighting duties, which involved injury and the deprivation of certain body parts.

The birds, instead, have an informant for the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to thank for relief from the grueling fights. Philadelphia police and SPCA officials found the roosters, many injured, in a home on 2nd Street near Diamond, in North Philadelphia.

Cops and SPCA officials also found steroids, antibiotics to treat infections from injuries, and drugs that are used to make the roosters more aggressive, said George Bengal, director of investigations for the SPCA.

Marijuana also was found on the premises, he said.

The raid was staged before Saturday night's cockfighting matches. The property owners, whose names are known to officials, have yet to be located, Bengal said. No arrests were made.

The birds were found in clean cages, and a ring for their fights was nearby, he said. It was dismantled by the SPCA.

NFL quarterback Michael Vick's arrest and subsequent jail sentence over his involvement in dogfighting has actually resulted in an increase in local animal bouts, Bengal said.

Before Vick's arrest last year, Bengal served such warrants an average of one every two to three months, he said.

"Now we're doing it an average of one to two times a week," he said. "It seems that ever since Michael Vick, this has escalated and it's out of control. It's like a badge of honor."

Sixty roosters were confiscated a few weeks ago, he said.

Cockfighting is big business, with winning birds garnering big bucks for their owners, who breed them for money, authorities say.

"These are athletes and they are trained like any other human athlete is trained," Bengal said yesterday. "They are given the best of anything. It's just that the activity is a felony."

Cockfights were held at the 2nd Street address on Friday and Saturday nights, he said. Fights were held last Friday, but SPCA officials obtained a warrant based on the informant's tip the next day.

About 2:30 p.m. they entered the home, which is nestled between two automotive shops, Bengal said.

The location helped the cockfighting ring's operators conduct their illegal activities on nights when both businesses were closed, Bengal said.

The roosters had been shaved to stay cool, Bengal said.

Birds injured in a bout are left to die a slow, painful death, he said. No effort is made to curb the pain or even euthanize the animal, he said. Often, birds wear small spurs, which cause injuries to opponents and sometimes themselves.