Animal rights group GAIA lodges complaint against cock fighters
The animal rights group GAIA has lodged a complaint against the organisers of an illegal cock fight in the Limburg municipality of Hoeselt. Last weekend police raided the cock fight and confiscated 28 birds that were used for fighting. The animals were put down to prevent them being used again for cock fighting.
Cock fighting has been illegal in Belgium since 1927. However, GAIA’s Michel Vandenbosch told the VRT “Apparently there are still some incorrigible individuals that are involved in the practice. Luckily the number of cock fights has diminished, but apparently the phenomenon has still not been completely eradicated”
GAIA says that it will lodge a complaint against the cock-fighters with the Judicial Authorities. “This is our duty as an animal rights organisation. Because these are barbaric practices. The animals are severely abused”.
GAIA also calls for action to tackle the issue of cocks being bred for fighting.
Birds put down
The birds that were confiscated by police were put down at the Bird and Mammal Protection Centre in Heusden-Zolder (Limburg). GAIA says that this is regrettable. “These animals could have been placed with families. We understand that the centre didn’t know which way to turn, but we would have helped them”.