Anthony Saville’s ​Report on​ Tommy Carrano ​and

interpretation ​of the​ prosecution’s indictment.

September 28, 2017 at 9:01 A.M.

​Statement:

As a poultry and chicken husbandry expert I have been asked by Tommy Carrano to look at the
evidence submitted by the prosecution of his indictment and comment on what I see and where I
can clarify the evidence and what it really means.

Mr. Saville’s Overall Qualifications:

Anthony Saville (aged 73) has kept and bred poultry continually for approximately 70 years. His
lifelong involvement in multiple countries qualifies him as fully competent in all aspects of
breeding, selection, and health. He is also well versed in advising on all aspects of husbandry
with all types of poultry.

Judging Qualifications:

1. South African Poultry Association. ​ ​Certified Judge # 764 as of October 31,

1977. Certified to judge all varieties of Old English Game fowl in Large Fowl and
Bantam.
2. South African Poultry Association. ​Certified Judge #764 as of October 31, 1977.
Certified to judge all varities of Australorp in Large Fowl and Bantam.
3. Oxford Old English Game Fowl Club. ​ Certified Judge as of July 27, 1991.
Certified to judge all varieties of Oxford Type Old English Game Fowl.
4. American Game Fowl Society. ​Certified Judge as of December 2005. Certified to
judge all varieties of American Game Fowl in Large Fowl and Bantam (miniature).

Additional Qualifications:

1. Travelling and Speaking ​on the subject of American Game Fowl history and
exhibition since 1995.
2. Compiled and Published ​The American Game Fowl Society Standard in 2003.
3. President o​ f the American Game Fowl Society, which is associated with the American
Poultry Association and the American Bantam Association.
OVERVIEW:

What stands out here is the total single-mindedness of the investigators in this case. Surely the
entire matter should be fully investigated and the trial should be to establish the facts in court.
That in my opinion has not happened here. The evidence is conjecture at least, designed to
incriminate Tommy by bending the facts and manufacturing (leading) a whole case based on
their preconceived idea of what they perceive to be evidence of cockfighting. What concerns me
is that without any proof of actual cockfighting these people could incriminate ​anybody​.
Especially themselves.​ ​(See ASPCA report Alison Liu. )

Submitted by Tommy Carrano as evidence for the defense was an independent commercial
television documentary ​(Chicken People)​ on SHOWS AND SHOW-HOLDING. The
documentary follows about the fraternity that attend chicken shows in America but the content of
this video applies all over the world .These show people keep and breed their chickens to share
with their compatriots and the general public. The chickens are pampered and groomed for their
day at the show. A whole year is spent for this purpose. The American Poultry Association, the
American Bantam Association, and the American Game Fowl Society hold regular shows and a
Special Championship chicken show comparable to the Westminster Dog Show is held each year
with up to 12,000 entries.

New York should be aware of their Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and the show people
running around with the dogs preening and grooming them. A poultry show is similar with
judges judging different classes. Imagine the investigators that we have in Tommy Carrano’s
case selectively deciding to visit some show dog owner and compiling evidence for a case of
animal cruelty. There is in my opinion cruelty in getting those poor old dogs to pose, and cruelty
in washing them every day, and traveling them around the country in cramped crates unable to
urinate or urinate on themselves. If I was single minded enough and blinded by my perceived
morality I could easily compile a Felony case to incriminate the owners of these dogs for cruelty
to animals. Imagine the public indignation if the ASPCA people arrested the Westminster dog
handlers for cruelty to animals and confiscated the dogs.

For clarity, THE NEW YORK GAME BREEDERS ASSOCIATION (of which Tommy was
president) is a show holding club with an annual show. I have personally judged this show in the
early 2000’s.

The evidence collected in the raid at Tommy Carrano’s farm has in my opinion been at best
compiled in a negative way. Possibly leading (and I use the legal term here for leading) the
prosecution to form a negative conclusion.

Examples of this follow:

Report by John Bolin regional director ASPCA. Dated 05/25/17

This report contains non-factual statements which may have been written purposefully with the
goal of portraying the defendant negatively.
1. The statement about the breeding operation having a disproportionate cock to hen ratio is
incorrect. The ratio is exactly what I would expect at any one of the thousands of show
fowl breeders countrywide. ​It is common practice to keep multiple males in reserve,
either as show prospects, second string breeding stock, or potential sale stock. In order to
 maintain a wide genetic basis within a closed flock an exhibitor may keep a male several
years without breeding that bird so that it may in time contribute to the gene pool.
2. During the search John Bolin observes what he calls a gamefowl and then comments that
they are commonly used for cockfighting. He is incorrect ​“BIRD Co 15”​ which was
confiscated by the ASPCA was a commercial rooster used either for egg producing or
meat. This chicken during my inspection was missing. This appears to be destroying
vital evidence by the ASPCA.​ The misidentification of BIRD Co 15 is cause for
questioning the expertise of Mr. Bolin as the bird in question is of a readily identifiable
body type which varies notably from a true gamefowl.
3. Mr. Bolin incriminates to FLY PENS. The rooster facility run by the ASPCA that I
inspected held the roosters in FLY PENS WITH PERCHES. ​Technically, any large, long
enclosed pen with perches could be considered a “fly pen”. More athletic breeds of
poultry, as well as pheasants, pigeons, and some waterfowl are kept in long runs as they
allow for more productive natural exercise. Consider the arrangement of the pastures for
race horses; they allow the animal to chose to build up to a full gallop if they feel the
inclination. Further, roosts that are too low to the ground encourage injury to a bird’s legs
and joints as it feels it does not need to use its wings for landing, thus putting additional
stress on the lower extremities. A higher roost, combined with a bird trained to fly up to
the roost, also makes handling the birds easier as an enthusiast ages as it reduces the
amount of bending over.
4. Mr. Bolin spends a whole paragraph on incrimination about Filipino drop pens portraying
them negatively. These drop pens at the Carrano farm have shaded tops and are used to
rotate chickens onto lush grass and clover. This provides for their mental health by
alleviating boredom and giving them access to vital nutrient rich greens such as clover.
5. Mr. Bolin next refers to a KEEP. Surely he is aware that all poultry fanciers keep their
birds in single pens so that their health and feather condition are perfect for show day.
The term “keep” is a layman’s term for a conditioning regimen. All body builders and
athletes develop a system that combines diet, exercise, and REST to achieve maximum
visual perfection. A keep stall is nothing more than a form of individual housing that
helps to provide necessary rest for a bird being conditioned for exhibition. These same
keep stalls pull double duty as quarantine pens for birds returning from exhibition halls.
Quarantining birds is essential to a healthy flock as they will be exposed to birds from
many other regions and potentially be exposed to viruses. These individual pens not only
keep a bird’s plumage intact, but allows for them to rest without the stress of another bird
in it’s visual line of sight (which would only rile a bird up.) Keep stalls, dimensionally
speaking, vary little from the wire coops birds are displayed in at shows, so this also
allows the bird to adjust to smaller quarters for short periods of time.
6. Much is made of the dubbing of Tommy Carrano’s birds. The reader is intentionally
worked up by the terminology. Surgically altered. The removed comb, wattles and ear
lobes on a chicken are referred to as a whole emotional surgical operation that occurs in
many parts. They purposefully portray this necessary medical procedure as unnecessary,
bloody, and sickening . Here are the some FACTS on dubbing. Every weekend there is a
chicken show somewhere in the USA. Thousands of Old English Game Bantams,
Modern Games, and Old English Game Fowl are shown. They have ALL been dubbed
or surgically altered as required in the APA, ABA and AGFS Standards.
Are are all of these people guilty of Cockfighting? This is ludicrous. Mr. Bolin continues
to waft on with inciting rhetoric about dubbing and then refers to spur cutting as dubbing,
this term is incorrect for spur cutting. The American Game Fowl Standard requires that
all spurs are cut short so that the poor old judge is not maimed by the long spurs. I will
bring examples of these removed spurs to trial. At a breeding facility for egg producing
 or commercial chickens the breeding males are all surgically altered or dubbed. This is
done to improve fertility and prevent frostbite. Are these farms guilty of Ccockfighting?
The birds are also of the game fowl family. Cornish Game or Cornish Game Crosses.
7. During my inspection of the roosters a very serious anomaly arose. Here I refer to Mr.
Bolins point on dubbing. Bird ​“BO12” ​HAS BEEN SCALPED ​since it left​ the Carrano
facility. This is not the removal of the comb, wattles and ear lobes of the chicken. This
chicken has been severely fighting during the ASPCA incarceration at their facility.
There is permanent severe damage to this bird’s head. To prove the fighting the bird also
has a poorly healed up broken leg and has damaged spurs. Someone at the ASPCA has to
be aware of the severity of the injuries to this bird and will be called at trial to explain the
injuries. Clearly now it is evidenced as to why the ASPCA took almost 6 months to
allow an inspection of the birds in their care.
8. Mr. Bolin then leads (Legal Term) with a whole descriptive sentence on a burlap covered
bench. I supply two answers. First this bench was inherited from Mr Joe Z. ​Often a
serious breeder will seek out not only quality fowl but artifacts related to the breed. A
Cochin breeder may hang reprints of early illustrations of the breed on their wall, a
breeder of Barred Plymouth Rocks might seek out articles on the “Ringlet strain” or in
Rhode Island Reds the “Mohawk bloodline”. Gamefowl have a much better documented
history than most breeds in the U.S. and consequently, especially in the Northeast, there
is often more physical artifacts as well. It is also common for older breeders to hand
down equipment and publications to their prodigies. ​Second this bench has a practical use
be used to evaluate a bird’s health and ensure that the show bird is CORKY (a show term
used to describe a chicken’s condition.)
9. Mr. Bolin refers to a dubbing and modification stand as well as medications. Surely you
would expect some type of table in a show chicken preparation area. Chickens, like all
other livestock, get sick and need medication. The ASPCA are aware of this because of
the sick and deceased Tommy Carrano chickens at their facility. One rooster was sick
and dying at the ASPCA facility​ during​ my inspection in my opinion and required urgent
medication.
10. Mr. Bolin tries to incriminate with scales. Surely an expert like him should know that
ALL chickens of every breed at every show have to conform to a weight. Please read
the American Poultry Standard to confirm this point. ​Without scales a breeder cannot
truly know where his fowl lie in regards to the written standard and whether or not his
breeding program needs adjusting. Further, he may wish to track the carcass gain of his
fowl should he consider selling them for a niche market of heritage meat birds. This is
common practice in beef and pork.
11. Mr. Bolin refers to numbering of pens. I cannot understand his inference. ​ If he was
expressing concern over pens being physically numbered then it should be noted that a
numbering system is a wise way to keep records regarding health and breeding. Also, in
the event a caretaker must be arranged it is far easier to write out care instructions per
numbered pen rather than trying to explain what each bird looks like and hoping that they
get the correct care. On the other hand, if his statement is in regards to the number of
pens on the property it should be noted that any poultry exhibitor would, given the
opporunity, funds, and time create as many pens and as spacious as possible for the
optimal development of their fowl prior to their debut in the show hall.
12. Mr. Bolin refers to signage TNT GAMEFOWL; what is this inference? ​Many animal
enterprises, hobby or industrial, use a signature name that is recognizable to help market
fowl. Consider the 6666 Ranch, Kings Ranch, Pitzer Ranch, various dairies, kennels or
even, like Tommy, small show farms.
 13. The wooden cabinet. The presence of animal blood on shears would be expected in any
show poultry facility for the dubbing of Old English Game. ​Blood could also indicate an
injured bird that was taken into hospital care or a predator attack if on a pen. ​Mr. Bolin
refers to During a cockfight. Please read the 11 line description or ranting (or at best
leading) What is the relevance here! Plainly he is attempting to make connections that
are not there.
14. It is admitted that spurs and postizas were found. These were an inheritance from Joe Z
in Maryland an Italian descendant like Tommy Carrano. Joe was dying and wanted
Tommy to have all his Gamefowl Paraphernalia. The contention by Mr. Bolin that a
postiza would be attached with melted wax is in my opinion preposterous and devoid of
fact. Once again this proves the limited knowledge of Mr. Bolin. ​Ownership does not
automatically mean usage nor alignment with the views and beliefs of the previous
owner. Owning a Nazi relic does not automatically mean that a person is against Jews. It
doesn’t even mean that the owner will even display the item, much less use it. The
reasons for owning an item are different for every individual. For some it is an
investment; a bet hedged on the eventual scarcity of an item which could lead to a payoff.
15. Eggs. How are eggs evidence? I would expect to find labeled eggs at any show poultry
fanciers facility. The relevance here is not understood and Mr Bolin is again LEADING
the prosecution. ​Not only that, but eggs that were in the process of developing into live
birds were destroyed during the raid. If this isn’t destruction of a life then it should at
least be considered destruction of evidence.
​ASPCA Alison Liu Report.

Something I have never seen used as evidence before is the altering of the spurs on a rooster.
This is a new incriminating tool to aledge cockfighting.
This is part of chicken husbandry. Roosters and hens grow spurs. There are typically one on
each leg for normal game chickens. Some breeds such as the Sumatra game and the Cubalaya
have multiple spurs per leg.

As a poultry judge I can attest that show organizations such as The American Game Fowl
Society require all the males to have their spurs trimmed for the show. This eliminates the poor
old judge having a sharp two and a half inch spur in his arm or leg when the bird is handled for
show if the bird acts up. Trimming spurs also prevents injury to the hen during mating.
The sawing off of the spur or the removal of the spur with a Dremmel Tool is comparable to
cutting your nails as they are made of the same material. Spurs can also be twisted off.
A competent poultry handler can twist the outer spur off as nature intended. The new inner spur
grows out normally and to the untrained eye could be perceived as altered.

The evidence submitted by the ASPCA (Alison Liu) to try and incriminate Tommy Carrano turns
180 degrees on the ASPCA. The birds at the holding facility have been fighting in my opinion.
The birds are supposedly at a place of safety, so how could this happen? The facility where I
conducted my inspection was staged as I reported. Where were these birds taken to and how
were they transported from Tommy Carrano’s facility?

In my opinion after being confiscated from Tommy Carrano’s farm, many of the roosters were
allowed to fight and have kicked off their spurs pen fighting. Often this spur never grows back.
One of the roosters has only one spur that will never grow back leaving permanent evidence.
Fortunately the ASPCA (Liu) documented the spurs on the confiscated chickens.
After leaving the Carrano facility a cockfight happened somewhere. My inspection found slipped
bills (damaged), half grown spurs, scalping and missing and broken feet and toes which I will
document later when I am allowed to actually handle the birds. My whole inspection was
conducted at a distance of 6 to 10 feet away from the birds. When I am able to handle the birds I
would expect to find more proof of abuse of these chickens.

Now the ASPCA or the authorities are trying to force Tommy Carrano to forfeit his birds. This
is their attempt to try and cover up their complete incompetence by destroying the evidence.
THESE DAMAGED BIRDS ARE EVIDENCE! ​They cannot be destroyed.​ The ASPCA
took the birds. If they cannot now care for these birds then I suggest they return the birds to Mr.
Carrano’s farm where they will be well cared for.

The Liu report has pictures of the confiscated roosters and hens. They are all numbered and
described in the finest detail. It will be eye opening when we are allowed to examine the
pictures and handle the birds. Not a thumbnail photograph as shown.
Nowhere in the report does Dr. Liu (after checking each bird in fine detail) describe any injuries
in the column other. We assume that all the birds were received in excellent condition. Photos
were not allowed to be taken prior to the fowl leaving Tommy’s farm for comparison. What we
need to ascertain is when and where the ASPCA allowed these birds to fight resulting in the
serious damage to the birds.When Roosters are allowed to fight in holding pens permanent
damage is sustained by the birds. No amount of trying to allow birds time to heal can cover the
actual physical damage that the poor birds suffered.

When birds pen fight some of the birds (approximately 15%) lose their upper mandible of the
beak. When this happens the top mandible is left with a soft inner beak (a slipped beak.) The
lower mandible continues to grow leaving the bird with an elongated beak. If the lower mandible
is not trimmed the bird will eventually starve to death because he cannot eat. At the ASPCA
rooster handling facility I inspected 5 out of 30 birds had slipped beaks. This is really bad
because only 15% lose their beaks while at least 60% of the fought birds will regrow the upper
mandible.
The figures are staggering in my opinion at least 75% of the birds have been cockfighting ​whilst
in ASPCA custody.

The same mathematics apply to slipped spurs. Many of the birds at the facility had slipped spurs
which never regrow and some showed evidence of slipped spurs which had regrown. In my
opinion definite proof that these roosters had been fighting. The fighting is likely the result of
lack of knowledge on how to properly house and transport this breed.
Rooster number “​B12”​ has a broken leg that has recovered from a greenstick fracture and a
gammy leg. Somewhere this rooster has endured hell yet lived to tell the tale.
Thank Dr Liu for her description of the birds as she found them and photographed them. The
same photographs of the birds then and now make my task easier to define the extent of abuse of
these chickens ​at the hands of the ASPCA​.

More evidence can and will be submitted at trial. Only in my opinion 50% of the permanent
disfiguration has as yet not been documented because the inspected birds were kept in deep litter
shavings and I was not able to see the feet or handle the birds. This is all I have for now and I
revert to Mr. Tommy Carrano and the case at this time.

ANTHONY SAVILLE
(*All text in ​RED ​is additionally provided by Josh Hoffman.)