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Investigating Animal Cruelty 49 setting entry fees; providing the pits and all other supplies; selecting the matchmakers, timekeepers and referees; and arranging for security precautions. The promoter sets and collects admission as part of his or her income and may even rent out cockhouses (small sheds to house fighting cocks) to cockers (cockfighters) traveling from a distance. The promoter also controls any vendors, food and liquor sales and any house gambling. Frequently, a promoter or group of cockfighters will form a game club that sets a season fight schedule and requires a paid membership in order to enter derbies and attend fights. Handlers. Also referred to as pitters, these individuals heel (tie the implements on the legs of the gamecocks) and handle the birds during a fight. If the handler is not the owner of the bird, he or she is usually paid a percentage of the purse if the bird wins. Only the two handlers and the referee are permitted in the pit with the birds during a cockfight. Referees. These individuals officiate in the pit and are well-versed in the rules governing the contest. They are responsible for checking such things as the weights of matched cocks, band numbers and inspecting the implements worn by the birds. Depending on the size of the event and the number of pits available, there may be more than one referee. Other principals include matchmakers, timekeepers, scorekeepers and security personnel. Spectators. Individuals who attend cockfights do so for a variety of reasons, although the opportunity to gamble and a penchant for blood sports as entertainment are key factors. Although most cockfight enthusiasts are male, spectators can be of any age, sex or race. An especially disturbing aspect of cockfighting in the United States today has to do with the frequent presence of young children and adolescents at these brutal and illegal exhibitions. During one raid on a large cockfighting derby in northern California, fleeing spectators Specialized cases


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