Connecticut police raided a Shelton home and broke up a canary fighting ring. Nineteen people were arrested; many of the suspects spoke Portuguese. Over 100 birds were seized and the suspects were charged with gambling and animal cruelty.
I didn't even know you could 'fight canaries.' I never gave it much thought, but canaries prefer to be alone and if you put two in a cage they fight, at least that's what I've always heard.
Police in CT say that canary and finch fighting may be a new trend because "When Canaries are bred, they'll fight to the death and they don't make the noise that typical roosters make and they don't smell. They fall under the radar because we wouldn't think it suspicious if people have a lot of canaries." Here are the names of those arrested:
# Rogerio DeCarvalho, 25, Danbury
# Geraldo Teixeira, 43, Kearny, NJ
# Ricardo Almeida, 29, Danbury
# Waldiney Almeida, 29, Holbrook, Mass.
# Auder Gontijo, 43, Marlborough, Mass.
# Elito Goulart, 47, Bridgeport
# Getulio Serra, 62, Danbury
# Sebastian Andrade, 37, Danbury
# Lucas Dos Santos, 25, Newark, NJ
# Odeci Dos Santos, 43, Newark, NJ
# Gilson Goncalves, 31, Danbury
# Nonato Raimundo, 51, Danbury
# Welson Sales, Framingham, Mass.
# Celco Sares, Marlborough, Mass.
# Marcos Teles, 36, Newark, NJ
# Agostinho Gondinho, 35, Danbury
# Massilon DePaula, 32, Danbury
# Welson Morais, 26, Framingham, Mass.
# Jurames Goulart, 42, Shelton
