When police broke up a massive cockfight in Athens, Texas, hundreds of people ran. They left behind weapons, cash, bloodstained blades — and 89 living roosters, battered but alive.

Now those birds face another threat: euthanasia.

These animals were bred for violence, forced to fight for entertainment, and then abandoned when law enforcement arrived. They are not trash. They are victims of cruelty, and they deserve the same protection we promise to all animals rescued from abuse.

But with few sanctuaries able to take them, county officials are considering the unthinkable — killing the survivors because it’s easier than saving them.

Meanwhile, only nine people have been arrested out of the 200–300 involved. Cockfighting is illegal in all 50 states. It’s violent, tied to drugs and trafficking, and it’s time we treated it like the serious crime it is.

We’re calling on Henderson County and the State of Texas: prosecute every person involved in this criminal ring — and stop killing the animals who survived it.

Give these roosters a chance to live the life they were denied. They’ve been used enough. They’ve suffered enough. Now they deserve safety.

Add your name if you believe cruelty shouldn't end in silence.