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October 15, 2025DEAR FRIENDS, Every drone flight, every investigation, every call to law enforcement is adding up — and it’s making a difference.
SHARK operates differently than anyone else in animal protection. We go where the abuse is, we fly above it, we document it, and we push law enforcement to act — even when they’d rather look the other way.
No one ever said this work would be easy. But persistence pays off. The Kentucky State Police were once corrupt in ways we’ve never seen, and now they bust cockfights! On January 4th, Kentucky State Police cited 54 people for animal cruelty at a massive cockfight in Casey County.
In February, there was even more action! The Sheriff in Overton County, Tennessee, raided a cockfight with more than 50 entries. And in Kentucky, another bust uncovered more than 70 dead roosters, leading to six arrests. |
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March was a turning point. Working alongside Animal Wellness Action, SHARK exposed pits in multiple states driving hundreds of miles to expose criminals.
For years our groups would hear of a cockfighting pit that was in a tent, and for years we searched…until this year we found it. We documented them preparing for the illegal fight, and called the Sheriff. Yet only a single deputy was sent to the scene. The cockfighters were escorted off the property, and that was that. |
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| Undercover image of the deadly ring inside the Tent Pit |
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No further action was taken by the Murray County Sheriff; in fact, they gave the cockfighters so much space with their inaction that the cockfighters showed up on the property 5 DAYS LATER and took down their circus tent of torture and removed all evidence of their illegal actions. Time and again sheriffs turned a blind eye, except in Ellis County, Texas, where law enforcement quickly moved in after our call. Cowardly cockfighters ran into the woods, leaving behind many birds, both alive and deceased, along with a large amount of cockfighting paraphernalia, but Ellis County was still able to issue 16 citations.
Every single bust, every citation, every arrest is fueled by your support. |
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By spring, the media was paying attention. Stories of our drone footage and investigations ran in outlets across the country. The pressure is growing, and so is the momentum. SHARK is also working on building a network of sanctuaries for rescued roosters to prove these birds can live peacefully after surviving the pits. |
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Roosters confiscated during a July 14 cockfight bust in Athens, TX |
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The work takes a toll. Long trips across the country, heavy equipment, and constant vehicle repairs are costly. But we go where we’re needed, because no one else will. These aren’t just stories of cruelty — they’re stories of success. Arrests were made. Criminals are being exposed. And it’s happening because of you. |
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In June, we exposed the president of the Oklahoma Gamefowl Commission (OGC), Anthony DeVore, at a cockfight in McIntosh County. For years, the OGC pretended it didn’t condone illegal activity. That lie is now over. We always knew they were a cockfighting promoting organization. But they like to pretend otherwise. After a district director was kicked out of the organization for being accused of felony servicing or facilitating a cockfight, DeVore said in a statement “The Oklahoma Gamefowl Commission does not promote, condone nor participate in any illegal activities” |
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| Anthony DeVore inside an illegal cockfight |
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As of September 8, 2025, Anthony DeVore, president of the Oklahoma Gamefowl Commission, has been charged with the misdemeanor offense of spectating a cockfight in McIntosh County, based on video evidence from SHARKs and Animal Wellness Action’s undercover investigation. DeVore has pleaded not guilty to the charge. |
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This case marks a major victory, as SHARK’s relentless efforts directly led to the exposure of his crimes. In a striking bit of poetic justice, the Oklahoma Gamefowl Commission now faces an order to dissolve and pay a $10,000 settlement—the exact same amount they offered in 2024 for the arrest of Steve Hindi and Wayne Pacelle—the OGC is also prohibited from forming a new political action committee for two years.
July brought another wave of action in Texas. In Titus County, deputies executed a warrant and arrested Timothy Thompson, filing four counts of animal cruelty. In Kaufman County, police responded immediately to our report and raided a cockfight hidden under a canopy of trees. Later that same day, we discovered another pit storing roosters in a Bimbo Bakeries USA trailer — a shocking public health threat, and proof of just how reckless these criminals are. |
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Dead roosters laying next to a wheelbarrow where their bodies were tossed |
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With more than 40 cockfighting related trips already this year, we are seeing results. Sometimes a simple phone call is enough to trigger action — because SHARK has made it clear that cockfighting will not go unchallenged. 2025 has shown us the tide is turning. More busts. More arrests. More media coverage. And more pressure than ever on animal abusers. |
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Cars parked outside an illegal cockfight |
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Bimbo Bakeries Trailer outside a cockfight |
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Our work is dangerous, relentless, and expensive. Drones, travel, investigations, and legal fights take resources — and we can only keep going because of people like you.
From coast to coast, 2025 has proven that the walls are closing in on animal abusers. More busts, more arrests, more media coverage — the tide is turning.
But our work is far from done. As the saying goes “It’s not out, until it’s dead out!” We need your help to keep drones in the sky, investigators on the ground, and public pressure building. |
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Because we ARE “Crushing Cockfighting!” |
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On Sept 12, Steve Hindi also had the opportunity to give the Keynote Address for NAWS (National Animal Welfare Society) in Frankfurt, Il at their annual fundraising gala. There, Steve addressed not only the fate that abandoned animals in the shelter face, but brought attention to the steer tailing events that we have been fighting so ferociously.
For over four years we’ve battled the brutal practice of steer tailing in Illinois. Instead of moving on to other fights, we’re still up against the same counties where this cruelty began. We won’t stop until it’s over—with your support, we can keep the pressure on. Please consider making a donation today to fuel this fight.
Our Year-End Newsletter will share the full story of the steer tailing battles and the hard-won successes of 2025! |
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| SHARK is on Venmo! Donations made simple, right from your phone! Click the Venmo button -> and head right to our page. |
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| | SHARK is on PayPal. <— Click the PayPal button, and head right to our page. |
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