PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Illegal cockfighting continues to surface across Arizona more than 25 years after the state banned the practice, with recent raids highlighting the ongoing criminal activity.

“Arizona traditionally was a hotbed of cockfighting. It was one of the last five states to have legal cockfighting,” said Wayne Pacelle, the president of Animal Wellness Action .

Cocking fighting has been illegal in Arizona since 1998, but banning the bloody battles hasn’t stopped criminals from hosting the gruesome events.

Earlier this month , in Coolidge, two men were charged, and over 110 roosters were seized in a single raid. In April , one person was arrested in connection with a cockfighting ring in a Glendale neighborhood. Several roosters were found dead on that property.

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