Dallas police looking for a stolen car find an illegal cockfight instead

Police in Dallas busted a cockfight in progress on Sunday morning while looking for a stolen car on abandoned property, according to the SPCA of Texas.

SPCA of Texas spokeswoman Maura Davies said in a press release that the agency along with the Dallas Police Department seized 48 fighting roosters from an abandoned property in Balch Springs.

Davies said that Dallas police officers stumbled upon the cockfight and contacted the SPCA of Texas. After securing the scene the SPCA of Texas collected evidence and loaded up the roosters for transport to an undisclosed location with the help of Dallas Animal Services.

Davies said one individual was arrested and charged with a Class A misdemeanor for possessing cockfighting paraphernalia. Another person was issued a Class C misdemeanor citation for attending the cockfight, while all the other attendees fled the scene.

Aside from the 48 live birds found at the fight, three birds that were severely injured had to be euthanized on the scene. Two other birds were found dead on the property.

Davies added that because the birds were found on an abandoned property, the birds will go into custody of the SPCA of Texas if no one comes forward to claim the birds in three to seven business days.

This story was originally published January 28, 2018 at 5:11 PM with the headline "Dallas police looking for a stolen car find an illegal cockfight instead."