Animal welfare groups are asking North Carolina prosecutors to file felony cruelty charges after hundreds of fighting roosters were reportedly abandoned without food or water in Wilkes County.
The birds were left at Los Panchos Gamecock Farm, a sprawling property that has been under investigation by Animal Wellness Action and a group called Showing Animals Respect and Kindness. These organizations recently released drone footage showing hundreds of roosters tied to individual tents across the property. Local authorities took action after receiving new evidence and tips regarding the location.
Advocates claim the farm’s owner, Francisco Valadez, abandoned the animals entirely. Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action, said leaving the birds to starve creates a massive problem for both the animals and the community.
“Birds like these all over North Carolina are bred into a system of violence and suffering, and now they appear to have been discarded and abandoned altogether,” Pacelle stated. “Cockfighters routinely treat animals as disposable commodities, and this case demonstrates the profound cruelty embedded in the culture of organized animal fighting.”
The push for charges comes shortly after a cockfighting bust in Granville County in July 2024. During that investigation, local law enforcement released photos of the crime scene that included a trailer displaying the Los Panchos Gamecock Farm logo.
Advocates are now urging law enforcement to look beyond standard animal fighting offenses. They want prosecutors to file hundreds of individual animal cruelty charges based on the severe neglect of the abandoned flock. Pacelle noted that by walking away from the property, the breeder dumped a heavy burden on local authorities and rescue teams.
“Animal fighting operations are not isolated acts of cruelty—they are criminal enterprises that normalize violence and lawlessness,” Pacelle said. “Anyone who abandons hundreds of living animals after profiting from their suffering should be held fully accountable under the law.”
According to the organizations, birds used in these rings often endure physical alterations like having their combs and wattles removed, along with trimmed spurs so knives can be attached for fighting. They also stated that law enforcement routinely finds weapons, illegal drugs, and gambling operations at cockfighting crime scenes.
“Animal Wellness Action has been investigating illegal cockfighting in North Carolina since 2020. We’ve learned about the people who have built a criminal syndicate driving cockfights inside and outside of North Carolina,” Pacelle added. “This crime network, partly organized by the North Carolina Gamefowl Breeders Association, must be disbanded. It not only threatens the well-being of animals but the safety of our communities. Gambling, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and other criminal conduct are routinely commingled with animal fighting.”
To address the broader issue, Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy are pressing Congress to pass the FIGHT Act. This bipartisan bill aims to ban live and online gambling on animal fights, stop the shipment of fighting birds through the mail, and allow citizens to file lawsuits to break up fighting rings.
“Local law enforcement is doing critical work, but they need stronger federal backing,” Pacelle explained. “The FIGHT Act would give authorities the tools they need to shut down these operations and prevent them from reconstituting elsewhere.”
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
