Texas Man Arrested After Hundreds of Birds Found in Cockfighting Bust

MOUNT PLEASANT, TX — A Titus County man is facing felony charges after authorities raided an alleged illegal cockfighting operation on July 4, with animal welfare organizations calling for federal prosecution and preservation of the crime scene.

Timothy Thompson, 52, of Titus County, was arrested on charges of cockfighting and four counts of cruelty to a livestock animal, all state jail felonies, according to the Titus County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies executed a search and arrest warrant at a property in the 900 block of County Road 3925 after receiving credible information about the event.

Animal Wellness Action and Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) said in a joint statement that Thompson was operating a major cockfighting complex, including a fighting arena and cockhouses, and allegedly kept as many as 500 fighting birds on the property.

“We applaud the Titus County Sheriff for arresting him, after acting on our tip, and urge them to continue to keep open the investigation and bring charges against the full cast of actors present at the major fighting derby conducted on Independence Day,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy.

The animal groups urged authorities to treat the Mount Pleasant property as an active crime scene, citing concerns about hundreds of fighting birds remaining onsite and possible ties to a broader animal fighting syndicate.

"The Mount Pleasant cockfighting complex is the visible part of a sprawling animal fighting syndicate that stretches across state lines and ships fighting birds domestically and internationally," said Steve Hindi, president of SHARK. "The fighting birds, the fighting pit, the fighting housing, and the digital records should all be treated as criminal evidence and authorities should follow the countless leads that are now available to them."

Thompson was booked into the Titus County Jail without incident and awaits arraignment. The sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing to identify other suspects.

Animal wellness groups said they plan to press Congress to pass the Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act, which would enhance federal penalties for animal fighting operations.