LETCHER COUNTY, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — Cockfighting has been around for decades. “These are birds that are bred for aggression, they’re drugged up, they have razor-sharp deadly weapons attached to their legs,” Steve Hindi with SHARK said. SHARK or Show Animals Kindness and Respect says they see a lot of cockfighting operations happening right here in the commonwealth. “It’s not just a matter of the animal cruelty, that would be more than enough for us, but you’ve got an entire criminal element involved, the weapons, the drugs,” Hindi said. SHARK helped uncover the Whitesburg Chicken Pit, a cockfighting ring in Letcher County. Six people were indicted on animal fighting charges back in July of 2023. “I’m frankly appalled that the judge let this guy off so easily,” Hindi said. On December 6th, 2024, the judge sentenced the owner of the Whitesburg Chicken Pit to a two-year probation and ordered him to pay a $2,600 fine. “These people are intoxicated, they’re addicted,” Hindi said. “I use the word addicted with cockfighting regularly because they’re addicted to the bloodsport, they’re addicted to the gambling, they’re addicted to the weapons.” These weapons are known as gaffs. Hindi describes them as sharp ice pics attached to the birds’ ankles to help them kill their opponent more effectively. “The gaff fights tend to take longer, because the birds can take more stabbing than they can take a serious deep slice,” he said. While these animals fight to the death, people who attend the event bet on the birds, go to concession stands and even buy their own animal fighting accessories. SHARK sends in undercover investigators to collect evidence to show to law enforcement. Their goal is to raise awareness and help stop animal abuse in all forms. Categories: Featured, Local News, News Tags: animal Abuse, chickens, Cockfighting, Letcher County, Organization, roosters, shark, Whitesburg