Barber plans to sue over closure

Owner William Camacho, 41, of New Bedford, does not deny that he sacrifices animals, but he denied doing it in the shop; the rooster died of natural causes, he said. The birds were in the barbershop temporarily while he was moving, he added.

Camacho said he is one of two men in the city who practice Palo Mayombe, an Afro-Caribbean religion similar to Santeria that uses animal sacrifice to commune with God and spirits.

“These birds are sacred; they’re basically saints,’’ said Camacho, who said he has practiced Palo Mayombe since childhood. “What was I supposed to do while I moved? Take my saints and throw them in a storage unit?’’

Animal control officers from the New Bedford Police Department have taken in all the roosters, pigeons, and chickens. The rooster, which had been dead at least two days when officers discovered the box, will be sent to Tufts University for a necropsy, animal control officer Emanuel Maciel said. If the bird’s death is ruled suspicious, Camacho could face animal cruelty charges.

Camacho said he plans to file a lawsuit against the city for violating his civil rights.

In response, Lang said: “To me, if anyone’s rights have been violated, it’s the rights of the people going into that shop for a haircut.’’

To reopen the shop, Camacho must hire someone to clean the basement and not bring in any more birds, Lang said. Only businesses with the appropriate license, like a butcher shop that slaughters chickens, can have poultry within the city limits.

The city’s Health Department plans to report the shop’s sanitary conditions to the state Division of Professional Licensure, director Marianne B. De Souza said. That filing could result in a hearing on whether to suspend Camacho’s barber’s license.

The slatted gate leading to the basement does not stop feces from drifting or being tracked into the barbershop, De Souza said.