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Gene Kennedy ReportingLt. Troy Wood / Salt Lake County Animal Services: "We've got several chickens with open wounds, some lying around dead. Not very good conditions."
Fire crews make a startling discovery, and now the search is on for the man who owns some dead roosters.
What began as a response to a small grass fire uncovered something unexpected: more than 100 roosters on a vacant lot, many of them living in deplorable conditions. Authorities think these roosters may have been bred for cockfights. That's what they're investigating.
They did not find any cockfighting equipment, but given the condition of the some of the animals and their location, it raises some eyebrows.
Lt. Troy Wood / Salt Lake County Animal Services: "It's very hidden, out of public sight."
More than 100 roosters found at the farm at 350 S. Redwood Road. And when fire fighters approached the animals' owner, they say he ran off.
Animal service authorities think the owner may have been breeding the roosters for cockfights and selling the animals on the internet. According to animal services, the punishment for that is a misdemeanor, whereas a dog fight is a felony.
Given how common cockfights are in Utah, some say the state needs tougher penalties to keep this from happening.
Lt. Wood: "Here in the United States you can fight cocks and it's no more serious than fighting a traffic ticket. Where's the incentive to stop?"
Earlier this week, police in Ogden busted a cockfighting ring and arrested nine people. But again, how severe will the punishment be? Some say it's just a slap on the wrist.
