A 9-1-1 call concerning animal cruelty led Bryan police to the backyard of a home where officers say they saw evidence of cockfighting.
This was Saturday afternoon at 607 East 24th, east of downtown Bryan between Preston and Polk.
The homeowner, 54 year old Antonio Gonzalez, was arrested for cockfighting, He was also ticketed for violations of city animal codes. Several others were ticketed for watching.
According to the police report, an officer observed several people standing in a circle and two cocks inside the circle. Gonzalez said the birds were pets and denied they were being used for cockfighting. The officer discovered several cocks in isolated cages and another in a large metal pen. One of the cocks had multiple injuries including a welt on the upper right breast and missing feathers on its neck. Several blood spatter spots and loose feathers were on the ground near the cages.
Officer Jon Agnew says animal control returned to Gonzalez’s home Monday afternoon to seize some of the 30 chickens not in proper living conditions. Agnew says city ordinance does not limit the number of chickens living in a residential area.
Officer Jon Agnew visits with WTAW’s Bill Oliver.