SUMTER COUNTY -- Sumter County authorities arrested a 42-year-old man for aggravated animal cruelty after a two-month long investigation involving cockfighting.
- Man accused of training animals for cockfighting
- Urueta-Guillen charged w/ aggravated animal cruelty
Jose Luis Urueta-Guillen was arrested Thursday after authorities executed a search warrant at a house at 3550 C.R. 230B and two vacant lots.
Authorities say they conducted physical and electronic surveillance of people involved in training roosters for fighting, as well as acts of animal cruelty.
Thirty-six roosters, several hens and some baby chicks were taken to Sumter County Animal Services.
"If we gain ownership of them, the majority of them are too aggressive. They’ve been conditioned for sport fighting. They’re very aggressive. They won't be adoptable, unfortunately," said Animal Services Manager Herschel Wiley.
Officials say they're known as fighting chicken or game birds.
"This is cruelty at its finest. This is someone torturing animals and putting them together for the purpose of fighting to the death in most cases. So it's very, very cruel," Wiley said.
The Sumter County Sheriff's Office says they also found vitamins, antibiotics and growth enhancements used for training roosters and items for treating wounded roosters after a fight with other roosters.
Authorities say several roosters had open wounds that appeared infected and one had a gaping, untreated wound in its neck.