/ Source: PhillyBurbs.com
Nineteen men arrested in an alleged bird-fighting operation in Connecticut plan are due in court Tuesday in hopes of being granted admission into a probation program that could result in the charges being dismissed.Officials say lawyers for the defendants are applying for accelerated rehabilitation, a probation program for first-time offenders.The 19 men from Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey have waived their right to ownership of the 150 birds seized from a house in Shelton on July 26, and the state Department of Agriculture took custody of the birds. Most of the birds are saffron finches, and a few are canaries.The defendants, all natives of Brazil, are charged with cruelty to animals and gambling.