What started as a routine response to a burning car in east Bexar County ended with a grim discovery: more than 60 chickens, several with injuries officials say point to cockfighting, and three severely malnourished dogs on a rural property.
Deputies with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office accused the property’s resident, identified as Aundra Mathis, of strangling one dog and provoking roosters to fight. Authorities arrested Mathis on multiple animal cruelty counts while the case continues under investigation, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies first rolled up to the property after a vehicle was found fully engulfed in flames in the 600 block of Kayroe Drive in Adkins, Texas, reported KSAT. Once on the scene, BCSO said they found more than 60 chickens, including one dead bird and others with visible wounds, along with cages that lacked adequate food and water. Bexar County Animal Control responded and took custody of the animals, the sheriff’s office said.
KENS5 published a photo gallery credited to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office that shows rows of bird cages and other images from the property. The station’s captions state the images were provided by BCSO as part of its coverage of the arrest, and officials said the photos support investigators’ statements that roosters on the property had been used in fights.
Bexar County Central Magistrate records list a booking for a MATHIS, AUNDRA tied to a January 1 arrest, confirming the sheriff’s office action. The online portal lists the case under booking number B202600057 and shows it has been forwarded to prosecutors for review.
Texas Law And Penalties
Under state law, causing a cock to fight or profiting from cockfighting is banned under Texas Penal Code Section 42.105, which classifies some cockfighting offenses as a state jail felony. The statute and local animal welfare groups note that penalties can include confinement in a state jail facility and fines up to $10,000, depending on the specific offense. For a broader overview of how animal cruelty laws are prosecuted in Texas, the SPCA of Texas outlines common charges and potential consequences.
Local Trend And Enforcement
Cockfighting busts have surfaced across Texas in recent years, with law enforcement agencies seizing hundreds of birds and handing out citations to both organizers and spectators, as reported by KERA. Animal welfare advocates say sheltering seized fighting birds is expensive, and many animals need long-term care while cases wind through the courts. Those costs and capacity issues are a key reason local agencies often coordinate with regional rescues and animal control partners after large seizures.
According to records and sheriff’s statements, Mathis faces three counts of animal cruelty and remains in Bexar County custody pending further action, per KSAT. The sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing and urged anyone with additional information to contact BCSO.
