‘It’s a pretty bad case’: Livestock rescued from suspected cockfighting ring in SW Miami-Dade recovering at SFSPCA facility

Animal welfare advocates are speaking out about the thousands of animals that were recovered from a suspected cockfighting ring operation in Southwest Miami-Dade, leading to a man s arrest. The South Florida Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals told 7News on Tuesday that they were initially called in to pick up two goats and two ponies. We discovered nine other goats in emaciated condition. All appeared to have respiratory conditions. There was a dead goat in the pen with them as well, said SFSPCA spokesperson Laurie Waggoner. It s a pretty bad case. What they found were farm animals in concerning conditions, including roosters, goats and ponies. One goat died in transit to the hospital, while another had to be euthanized. The ponies also showed signs of severe neglect. You could feel the entire skeletal system. If you had your hand on the chest, you could feel the chest rattling, said Waggoner. The surviving animals are now being treated at a SFSPCA