2 Roosters Seized from Bristol Convenience Store: Police

Police have seized two roosters from the basement of a Bristol convenience store in connection with a possible animal fighting operation, but the owner of the market said there is no fighting ring.

Bristol police said the investigation started when personnel from the state Department of Revenue Service along with the Bristol Narcotics Enforcement Team responded to the Tropical Market at 152 School St. for a routine cigarette sales compliance inspection on Thursday. During the inspection police found evidence of a possible cockfighting operation.

Police obtained a search warrant and found two roosters in cages in the basement and items to care for the birds and treat possible injuries.

Rooster cages Bristol tropical market
NBCConnecticut.com

William Andujar, the owner of the market said police have the story wrong.

Andujar, who has a tattoo of a rooster, said he has the roosters because he loves them and they do not fight.

"I don’t know why he say that’s too small for the rooster.  One cage for one rooster, other cage for other rooster,” he said.

The roosters were taken to Bristol Animal Control.

Police said they also confiscated paraphernalia used to care for injured birds.

“When they found them it appeared there may have been some type of animal fighting going on,” Lt. Richard Guerrera, public information officer for the Bristol Police Department, said. 

Andujar said the fact that the spurs on the birds’ legs had not been replaced by the metal or plastic ones common in cock fighting is proof that he wasn’t using the birds to fight. 

He went on to say police are targeting him and have gone to his shop looking for drugs, but he does not have any. 

No arrests have been made and police continue to investigate.

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