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Things are heating up in Monterey County, California, where SHARK has been active in the fight against illegal rooster operations that are suspected of supplying cruel and illegal cockfighting. In fact, our drone video of illegal rooster operations and suspected cockfighting properties was used by a Monterey County Civil Grand Jury that investigated an unenforced rooster keeping ordinance. The primary purpose of the ordinance is to stop cockfighting.
SHARK's drone video was also used by KION for a news story exposing the cockfighting problem in Monterey
The Grand Jury report largely blamed the lack of enforcement on the Monterey County Environmental Health Bureau, including that the author of the ordinance “...used an individual from a known local illegal rooster keeping operation as the resource for writing The Ordinance.” Is it any wonder that the ordinance has failed?
With this shocking information in hand, SHARK President Steve Hindi wrote to John Ramirez, the director of the bureau that the Grand Jury focused on, and asked him four questions related to the Grand Jury report. These questions were:
“Mr. Ramirez, why did your department create impediments to the Monterey County Rooster keeping ordinance?”
“What was the purpose of obstructing that ordinance?”
“Do you have any connection whatsoever to any illegal rooster keeping operation?”
“Do you have any connection whatsoever to cockfighting?”
Here is part of Mr. Ramirez’ response: Instead of responding in a professional manner, Mr. Ramirez responded with an email that appeared to threaten legal action against Steve.
"Unfortunately, I have no intent in responding to your email with unsubstantiated comments or inferences that you make. I also would like to advise you that I have every legal right to address libel or slanderous comments or written statements as to myself or my professional status.” You can read his full email HERE.
Mr. Ramirez' rather incoherent response is not what one might reasonably expect from a director of a county agency responding in his official capacity. Steve wrote back to Mr. Ramirez and let him know that asking questions does not constitute libel. You can read the full email HERE.
Mr. Ramirez could have answered “no,” to Steve's questions, but he instead seems to be acting like he has something to hide. That’s why we are asking for a full Board of Supervisors investigation into this issue, and Mr. Ramirez' role in it. We are also asking the Board of Supervisors to fully implement the recommendations of the Grand Jury.
• Please contact the Monterey County Board of Supervisors and demand they take action to eliminate the illegal rooster operations. Tell them to give Animal Control the resources they need. It has been 5 years since the ordinance went into effect and nothing has been done!
SHARK doesn’t back down from threats and we won’t back down from this one.
SHARK is allied with California-based Humane Farming Association, California-based In Defense of Animals, and Maryland-based United Poultry Concerns to deal with cockfighting nationwide. For more information, go to CrushCockfighting.com.
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Kindest Regards,
Steve Hindi and Your SHARK Team
SHARK is a frontline organization that goes where others do not, and we operate like no other animal protection organization in the world. Whether on land, water, or in the air, SHARK takes on issues others are afraid of, and documents and exposes animal abuse in a way others cannot, using camera-equipped drones, boats, super high-powered video cameras, body cameras, hi-pods that can raise cameras thirty feet in the air, and much more. Our small team of dedicated investigators travels across the US and beyond, confronting cruelty, cowardice and corruption, SHARK is the "Special Forces of Animal Protection."
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