Animal News

Dallas Police Department busts cockfight and arrests 40-plus spectators

Roosters were found in cages in a heavily wooded area.

SPCA

Dallas authorities busted in on another cockfight, this one in southeast Dallas. The fight was staged over Memorial Day weekend on May 24, when the SPCA of Texas and the Dallas Police Department interrupted the cockfight in progress at a residence and seized 388 birds, including 128 roosters, 183 chicks, 49 hens, and 28 deceased birds.

A large barn contained a makeshift fighting ring where the cockfights took place, along with numerous chicks within a locked stall. Several roosters appeared to be lethargic and severely injured with multiple wounds. Other birds were found dead from fighting.

The live animals were taken to two locations: the SPCA of Texas' Russell E. Dealey Animal Rescue Center in Dallas and the Russell H. Perry Animal Care Center in McKinney. They'll be cared for until a civil custody hearing takes place.

Dallas Police Department officers wrote over 40 tickets to spectators, and are working to charge multiple suspects with possessing paraphernalia and/or roosters with the intent to fight. Both are Class A misdemeanors. The Dallas Police Department's Animal Cruelty Unit will oversee the criminal case.

Roosters, hens, and chicks were kept in wire pens in a heavily wooded area outdoors. Roosters were also found in wooden enclosures and small wire crates in sheds. Other roosters were found inside of boxes used for transport.

Medications, a scale, and a cabinet full of paraphernalia, including slashers and gaffs, were also found.

Cockfighting is a crime in all 50 states, including Texas. In Texas, it is a felony; unfortunately, it is only punishable by up to two years in a state jail and/or up to a $10,000 fine.

In Texas, it is a Class A misdemeanor to possess, manufacture, or sell cockfighting paraphernalia; a Class A misdemeanor to own or train a rooster with the intent to fight the bird; and a Class C misdemeanor to be a spectator at a cockfight.

There is currently a partnership between the Dallas Police Department and the SPCA to bring animal cruelty perpetrators to justice. The Dallas Police Department and Dallas Animal Services identify the cases. The Dallas Police Department's Animal Cruelty Unit oversees the investigation. The SPCA of Texas provides housing and medical care.

Previous seizures include a 2017 case in southeast Dallas, and three cases in Balch Springs, including one in 2019 in which 176 animals were seized.

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Texas shocks as America's No. 3 least safe state in 2026 report

Photo by Hiroshi Kimura on Unsplash

Texas ranks as the 48th "safest" state — out of 50.

While no state is invulnerable, some do more to protect their residents than others. And a new study has declared Texas one of the five least safe states in America.

WalletHub's "Safest States in America (2026)" report examined all 50 states for their emergency preparedness and for residents' personal and residential, financial, workplace, and road safety. Factors that weighed into the rankings include specific crime rates per capita, the share of the population that is uninsured, road quality ratings, workplace injury statistics, and more.

Texas ranked at the bottom of the list as the 48th "safest" state — or the third least safe state. It's joined by several other Southern states, like Mississippi (No. 50), Louisiana (No. 49), Florida (No. 47), and Arkansas (No. 46).

According to WalletHub, Texas specifically ranks third to last in the nationwide "emergency preparedness" category, which was determined based on the prevalence of climate disasters causing $1 billion or more in damages from 1980-2024, and the loss amount resulting from those disasters.

The Lone Star State also ranked 40th (or 10th worst) across three safety categories: personal and residential safety, financial safety, and road safety. The report additionally found that Texas has the highest rate of uninsured residents nationally.

Texas' "workplace safety" was the state's highest-ranking category, landing 30th nationally.

Additional rankings that determined Texas' overall safety include:

No. 30 – Assaults per capita
No. 32 – Fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 full-time workers
No. 32 – Sex offenders per capita
No. 35 – Murders and non-negligent manslaughters per capita
No. 36 – Fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel
No. 41 – Loss amounts from climate disasters per capita

According to the report, the five safest states in America are all located in the Northeast. Vermont leads as the country's safest state in 2026, followed by Massachusetts (No. 2), Maine (No. 3), New Hampshire (No. 4), and Connecticut (No. 5).

Though every state has varying levels of safety, WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo asserted that the safest places in the U.S. categorically invest in protecting their residents. Top-ranking states have low crime rates and diligently maintain their road infrastructure, and other states that prioritize their residents' safety have "strong economies and job markets that prevent people from falling into dangerous financial situations."

"[The safest states in America] have high levels of occupational safety and disaster preparedness, too," Lupo said. "In addition, states are made safer by efforts that individual residents take, such as forming a neighborhood watch or working in firefighting and EMT jobs at high rates."

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