Why 77 Roosters Rescued From a Colorado Cockfighting Operation Couldn’t Be Saved

In Colorado, animal abuse is not only socially abhorrent but can also be met with serious legal implications.

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Recently, a large number of roosters were not only seized because they were trained to fight, but were forced to be euthanized due to diseases that they carried.

Colorado Fighting Roosters Seized

In December of 2025, numerous chickens were seized from a home on the 5900 block of East 69th Avenue in Commerce City, Colorado, a suburb of Denver, because the birds were allegedly being trained to fight and were carrying diseases.

The suspect, 45-year-old Arnulfo Talavera-Martinez, was said to have been in possession of a total of 77 hens and roosters, all of which were confiscated. Authorities were tipped off with regard to Talavera-Martinez’s cockfighting operation after a package addressed to his residence containing blades that are specifically manufactured to attach to the birds’ talons for fighting was intercepted.

Upon being arrested and questioned by authorities, Talavera-Martines allegedly admitted that he was training the animals to fight, where he kept them in his residence and was planning on eventually bringing them back to his previous home in Mexico, where he would enlist them in fights.

Unfortunately, although the animals were rescued before they were subjected to fighting, it was found that all 77 of the birds were infected with contagious diseases and showed signs of having been given growth hormones. Because of this, the hens and roosters will have to be euthanized.

Read More: Colorado's Stance On Animal Fighting: Laws And Penalties Explained

Check out the full story from CBS News here.