Polk County Sheriff's Agricultural Crimes deputies arrested two Lakeland men after serving a search warrant at 5120 Maple Drive in Lakeland and finding videos of cockfighting and 124 birds that had been trained to fight.

  (Photo of Lao Her courtesy of the Polk Sheriff's office) On February 26th, deputies received information that Lao Her, DOB 11/2/75, who lives at the residence, was involved in a cockfighting breeding operation. Deputies surveilled the residence and then obtained a search warrant on February 27th. When they served the search warrant at Lao's home, they located several cockfighting videotapes and 124 birds in cages that Lao admitted to using in cockfighting operations.

  (Photo of Sang Thao courtesy of the Polk Sheriff's office)  Lao stated that 70 of the birds were his, and 54 of the birds belonged to Sang Thao, DOB 2/10/56, of 4430 Deeson Road in Lakeland. Both men surrendered the birds to PCSO and were then placed under arrest.  Both men bonded out of jail on February 28, 2009.

(Photos courtesy of the Polk Sheriff's office)

Both men were charged with baiting or fighting animals, which are third-degree felonies.

Reference:

Central Florida News

Polk Sheriff's Office

The Ledger

NBC2 News