We haven’t been reaching out to you much recently, not because there is nothing going on, but because there is so much activity we don’t have time to write about all of it. Here is a synopsis of the issues.

As our supporters know, our work to expose illegal cockfight operations across Kentucky resulted in federal authorities busting a major cockfight operation near Whitesburg, Kentucky in February (see photo below). 

Seventeen people connected to Whitesburg and other cockfight operations were indicted.  

          Various law enforcement vehicles in the parking lot

Now the cockfighters are trying to reopen their operations, and SHARK investigators are waiting for them. Operation Bright Flare will expose every cockfight pit as it reopens, targeting these facilities for the next federal bust.

               SHARK is Hunting Kentucky Cockfighters

Publicizing these locations is reducing attendance, because no one wants to be on the receiving end of the next federal indictments, which may result in major jail time and heavy fines, not to mention a criminal record that will follow a person for the rest of their life.

Unfortunately, staying on top of the active cockfight pits requires an enormous amount of travel which is expensive, in what is a very dangerous patrol circuit. Cockfighters are losing an enormous amount of money on cockfights, not to mention the disruption of drug trafficking and prostitution.

Please send us whatever support you can, because we do not want to lose the momentum we’ve built to help the roosters! Please donate here.

Why is that?

See SHARK's video:

                Prosecutor Protects Violent Cockfighter

Shannon Clark's criminal record from the Lawrence County Clerk of Courts:


Feel free to call Prosecutor Anderson's office at:  (740-533-4360) and ask why he allowed convicted felon, Shannon Clark, to escape prison time. If you get a response, please let us know.

In February, we brought you the story of Red Alert (pictured below), a rodeo bull injured in a Professional Bullriders Association (PBR) event in Knoxville, Tennessee. Red Bull’s injury was filmed by an attendee, and that video clip was sent to us.

It was obvious to us that Red Alert’s injury was serious and likely deadly. Nevertheless, public relations flacks for the PBR claimed that Red Bull had a dislocated shoulder, and would be just fine.

A call from a PBR insider alerting us about Red Alert’s death blew the PBR lie out of the water! We called out the loudest PBR flack, David Gershwin, who incredibly then complained that we were invading his privacy by calling him out. Let me repeat - David Gershwin is a public relations flack, and he is complaining about privacy!

As for the rest of the PBR, both they and Gershwin are ignoring a public debate challenge, simply because they know they’d get creamed.  See video below:

                     PBR Lies About Bull's Death

Back in 2010, SHARK was alerted to the cruelty of charreadas, otherwise known as Mexican rodeos, which were occurring in remote areas of northern Illinois, mainly in Boone County. SHARK investigators documented the cruelty, including seriously/mortally injured animals, and the lack of veterinary care. See video below:

     Boone County State's Attorney Allows Animal Abuse

Our efforts resulted in Boone County passing a ban on some Mexican rodeo events.

                           Cruel and deadly steer tailing

Now we’ve been alerted to more charreadas occurring, both in Boone and surrounding counties. As for the Boone County ban, those responsible for enforcing the ban have completely ignored their duty, which SHARK experiences regularly on the many animal cruelty issues we work on.

A local Boone County resident has alerted us to what is going on, so SHARK is back to knock out the cruelty once again. This demonstrates the importance of local caring people staying on top of what is going on in their local areas and SHARK's tenacity.

   Terrified steers being forced into the arena to be injured or killed

SHARK’s drones will prove invaluable in documenting these events, as they have proven to be invaluable with so many other issues nationwide. We’ll bring you more news on this effort as it is ongoing.

Meanwhile, if you live in the counties northwest of Chicago, please keep your eyes and ears peeled for news about charreadas, or Mexican rodeos and contact us if you find something at: [email protected].

Thank you!

SHARK Investigators are out where animal abuse occurs! That is the way you stop cruelty - you confront it - directly - and we don’t back down. See video below:

          SHARK's Methods - Why We Do What We Do

For reasons we simply don’t understand, most groups today no longer work out in the real world, where it matters the most. They work out of offices, and pay public relations firms to send out press releases for them, bombard inboxes with endless email donation pleas, overpay their executives and waste a lot of money mailing out fundraising appeals with trinkets - money that should be spent on helping the animals!

It has become an appalling situation! SHARK investigators (pictured below) are on the road constantly. Our small organization criss-crosses the entire country going after many kinds of cruelty - cockfighting, rodeos, pigeon shoots, beagles being raised for experimentation, canned hunts and much more. On top of that, we help other groups that are willing to also work in the field!

I will put the results of our small team up against any large organization in the world. The big groups have hundreds, some thousands of times our resources, but they can’t do what we do, because they don’t even try.

If you want to support a group that throws galas and potlucks and sends out lots of fundraising promos, feel free to support someone else. But if you want your money spent to actually stop horrific animal abuse, and make permanent change, SHARK is the very best organization you can support!

I believe in SHARK’s work so much, I have acted as its unpaid, volunteer President for more than two decades. I do it because I know how much SHARK gets done for our animal friends! I hope you will join me in that effort. SHARK and the animals need you! Please donate here.