PICTURE STORIES: COCKFIGHTING IN PUERTO RICO

This is the story of one night at the cockfights in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I bought a $10 ticket and walked in the door. I was not sure what to expect but soon found out the brutality of this sport. It is legal in Puerto Rico. The crowd was mostly men. Heavy betting took place among them throughout the fights. The roosters were prepared for battle in a back room, sent high above the arena in plastic cages, and lowered into the arena floor to do battle. Most of these battles ended in death or severe injury to the roosters. The roosters who did not make it were thrown into the garbage. The ones who survived had their wounds washed, were shot up with antibiotics and put back into their cages. Living to fight another day.