SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Assemblymember Chris Rogers (D-Santa Rosa) introduced AB 928, the Cockfighting Cruelty Act. This legislation, introduced in partnership with the Human Society of the United States, empowers law enforcement to address the barbaric and illegal practice of cockfighting by establishing civil penalties for gamefowl yards where roosters are bred for cockfighting.
"AB 928 builds on California’s legacy of protecting animals from cruel and inhumane treatment by allowing law enforcement to address cockfighting in the community before it becomes a major criminal operation,” said Assemblymember Rogers. “This legislation will not only protect birds, it also helps address the public health risk presented by smuggled birds that have the potential to spread diseases, like avian flu, to legitimate poultry operations.”
Despite California’s strong cockfighting laws, the USDA has estimated that cockfighting is a multi-million dollar criminal industry that involves more than 3 million birds statewide. The three largest cockfighting seizures in U.S. history were all recently in California. For example, in 2022, a man in Ceres was sentenced to 16 months in prison for selling gamefowl after federal agents found nearly 3,000 birds on his property. It is illegal in California to possess birds for the purpose of cockfighting yet it is an exceedingly difficult crime to enforce because officers must prove intent.
AB 928 would provide state and local law enforcement with an additional tool to proactively address illegal cockfighting by establishing civil penalties for gamefowl yards where roosters are bred for cockfighting. Specifically, the bill prescribes that anyone who maintains more than three roosters per acre, or 25 total on a property, may be subject to a civil penalty for each bird over the established limits. This measure exempts commercial poultry operations, poultry hobbyists, schools, animal agencies, and FFA and 4H projects.
“Cockfighting is a criminal industry in California that profits from extreme animal cruelty, and we applaud Assemblymember Rogers’ leadership on this issue,” said Ann Chynoweth, Senior Director of the Animal Cruelty Campaign for The Humane Society of the United States. “Not only is cockfighting malicious, it also poses a significant risk for the spread of avian diseases. With the rising cost of eggs being a persistent issue for California consumers, this legislation will help protect against the driver behind those price increases -- avian flu.”
Avian flu, which is often spread by wild birds, has caused the death of more than 2 million commercial and backyard poultry in California in the last two years.
Gamefowl are a high-risk disease vector for avian disease because they are raised without protection from wild birds, transported across the country without oversight, and often exposed to bloody birds. In 2003, roosters illegally smuggled into California from Mexico for cockfighting are believed to have caused a virulent Newcastle disease (vND) outbreak that lasted eleven months, led to the depopulation of 3.16 million birds, and cost taxpayers $161 million.
The National Chicken Council testified in support of the Federal Animal Fighting Prohibition Act calling cockfighting “an inhumane practice that presents a continuing threat to the health of commercial flocks.”
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Chris Rogers was elected to the state Assembly in 2024. As the Assemblymember for the Second Assembly District, he represents Sonoma, Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte and Trinity counties. Learn more about Assemblymember Rogers here.
