Canary fighting-ring? What will the dirtbags think up next?
By Gina Spadafori
July 26, 2009
From the Connecticut Post (not, as I first guessed, the Onion, which often makes stuff up that’s not that far-fetched). But no, this appears to be real:
More than 150 canaries and saffron finches that police say were being primed for bird fighting in a Ripton Road home Sunday morning have been confiscated, and nearly 20 people charged in connection with the incident.
[...]
Nineteen people were arrested, police said. Their identities and the charges were not immediately released.
[...]
Canaries, which have a general reputation for being sweet songbirds, are known to fight with each other, particularly during the breeding season, according to experts on several websites. Males can be particularly aggressive, they indicate.
Canary fighting? Who would even have thought of such a thing, much less involve 18 other people in it?
You know that Canary’s are naturally bird aggressive, right?
Comment by Brent — July 26, 2009 @ 8:16 pm
I live here in CT and this is dead real! I saw this on the news and I thought, “Canaries? You have got to be kidding me! What do they do, sing each other to death?”
Don’t get me wrong, I breed birds—ok, pigeons, but they have feathers too—and I know how aggressive all birds can get, especially males (Hmm, and how is that different from all other species?), but who would have thought to pit two Canaries together? Next up on the news here in CT… Love Birds, Is it Love or Is It Death?
Comment by Christine Church — July 26, 2009 @ 9:53 pm
That doesn’t excuse it in any way.
Comment by The OTHER Pat — July 27, 2009 @ 3:18 am
Sick bas***ds. What a disgusting thing to do to innocent little birds.
I breed canaries and the only reason they fight is to establish their own little piece of their aviary or cage, or defend their life.
I hope the authroites pit all these sick maniacs together and make them fight to the death. Then maybe they will understand how the canaries feel.
Comment by Shauna Baker — July 27, 2009 @ 6:08 am
Rumor has it that the police got a tip from a stool pigeon.
Comment by PBurns — July 27, 2009 @ 6:33 am
I read in one report that there were two children in the house. What is that teaching them?? Disgusting…..
Comment by Kathy B — July 27, 2009 @ 7:04 am
I still have a hard time believing this. Though there’s certainly no cruelty that is beyond a human’s capacity to inflict
BTW: pretty good letter from AKC urging NFL not to reinstate Vick:
http://www.akc.org/pdfs/press_.....sioner.pdf
Comment by EmilyS — July 27, 2009 @ 7:56 am
When I first read this, I though it said “Canary dog fighting ring,” as in Presa Canario dog.
People sure are sick!
But Canary fighting isn’t the strangest I’ve heard of.
Did you know that people actually bet on fights between male Betta splendens fish in Thailand and Cambodia (formerly Kampuchea)? That’s why they are known as Siamese fighting fish.
That’s the first I’d ever heard of anyone canary fighting.
Comment by retrieverman — July 27, 2009 @ 9:42 am