A South Florida man is facing felony charges after police say he used his southwest Miami-Dade ranch as a breeding ground for cockfighting.
Miami-Dade Police served a search warrant early Thursday on a property on SW 18th Street in unincorporated Redland and found approximately 100 roosters and two rooster fighting/training rings, an arrest warrant said.
Police also found medication, syringes, spurs, and agitators, as well as at least three dead roosters, the report read.
Investigators spoke to a man who said Miguel Angel Rodriguez, the owner of the property, would sell the roosters in Puerto Rico for $40 to $50 a bird for fighting, the report read. The man also said Rodriguez would have him feed and train the roosters every day.
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Miami-Dade Animal Services were at the property filling plastic bags with euthanized roosters.
Birds who have been used in cockfighting rings have to be euthanized because they can't be rehabilitated, animal services officials said.
Rodriguez, 48, was arrested and transported to jail. He faces felony charges of owning equipment for use in animal fighting; and baiting, breeding, training, selling or owning animals for animal fighting. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of cruelty to animals. He bailed out of jail by Friday evening.
