A "bloodless" bullfight put on as part of the Portuguese Festival in Artesia came to a halt Saturday when a humane officer found nails protruding from long sticks used to jab the beast, which has suffered puncture wounds, it was reported today.
A tipster prompted a humane officer with Acton-based Animal Cruelty Investigations to go to the bullfight, where he saw that a bull had been repeatedly jabbed by the sticks, the Daily News reported.
The sticks were decorated with ribbons and confetti, so that the public could not see the 3-inch nails at the tip, Jane Garrison of Animal Cruelty Investigations said.
"This was promoted as a bloodless bullfight," Garrison said.
The officer, who was not identified, went to the center of the ring, held up his badge, and shut down the bullfight, Garrison said.
Garrison, who said she expected charges to be filed Tuesday, told those who organized the bullfight were told that stabbing a bull was a violation of state law.
The nonprofit group is not affiliated with any law enforcement agency, though humane officers act on behalf of the state.
