If you have ever wanted to own to have a rooster for a pet, now is your chance - a group of fowl rescued from a Paterson cockfighting ring are now up for adoption.

They may not be as cute and cuddly as a puppy or kitten, but the folks at St. Hubert’s Animal Rescue say that roosters make great pets.

“They have great characters - little personalities, every single one of them,” says Animal Control Officer Timothy Matthews.

There were 19 roosters available at St. Hubert’s as of Friday afternoon, and they are all ready for adoption.

“They’re friendly and they do like people,” says Animal Control Officer Cinda Ramm.

There were 84 roosters on Dec. 4 in Paterson from a cockfighting ring. Seventy-four of the birds came to St. Hubert’s

“The conditions were bad. There was frozen water – just very badly kept. Dirty and in cramped quarters,” Ramm says.

The roosters were all checked out medically and deemed adoptable. Bill Schwertfeger of Glen Gardner lost one of his old roosters recently and came to St. Hubert’s to adopt a new one.

“I like having them. They’re fun to watch. You can train them. They’re easier to train than dogs and cats. They all know their names,” Schwertfeger says.

Schwertfeger has owned roosters for years. Experts say that having experience and patients with roosters is the key to owning them.

“These poor guys have been through a lot, so anyone who is patient and has experience and who loves animals,” Matthew says.

Now potential owners should be warned that some towns have ordinances that restrict or prohibit owning roosters. More information about the roosters up for adoption can be found on St. Hubert’s website.