DOG FIGHTING RINGS & SHELTERS
Dog fighting is so prevalent today that
there are $5,000 bounties on
ringleaders, pets are stolen as ring
bait, and pit bulls fill shelters.
Nel
Liquorman | November 7, 2011
Even with the bounties on tips leading
to arrests, it can take many months of investigations
before raids can be carried out and
enough evidence gathered to make dog
fighting charges stick. In July 2009,
the biggest federal dog fighting
bust in history took place. The
dog fighting ring covered Missouri,
Illinois, Iowa, Texas, Oklahoma,
Arkansas, Nebraska, and Mississippi,
involving over 400 (mostly) pit bull
dogs and resulted in 26 arrests.
The origins of those mysterious blue
barrels of Nutro dog food {1} for sale
on the Kijiji website, led to a website
that was obviously connected to dog
fighting. Further research reveals an
underground activity growing like a
tumor in the underbelly of our society.
This horrific crime against dogs affects
entire communities, and their beloved
pets which are stolen to be used as
“ring bait.” Dog fighting rings have
recently moved into suburban
neighborhoods bringing with them drug
sales, guns, illegal gambling, and
violence which includes shootings.
DNA samples in the historical FBI dog
fighting case across 8 states proved
that all the dogs were related, and the
director of the forensics laboratory at
the School of Veterinary Medicine at
University of California, Davis, which
is dedicated to animal profiling,
believed that their findings indicated
creation of a new breed
specifically for pit fighting.
The Pit Fighting-Animal Shelter-CUR
Connection:
Dogs rescued in dog fighting raids wind
up in shelters that are too often
already filled to capacity. Because the
pit fighting dogs are often held as
evidence, it necessitates transporting
local dogs to other shelters; yet
another reason for the growth of today’s
version of CUR, the Canine Underground
Railroad {2}. Dog fighting is a
blood-thirsty pursuit that smacks of
organized crime.
Shelters are reluctant to accept obvious
“pit bulls” but most pay a transfer fee
which is good for the animal transporter
businesses. Our coverage of CUR reveals
eyewitness reports of dogs being dumped
on highways {3} and dogs dumped into
neighborhoods, both of which could be
connected with the rise in animal
transport and shelter reluctance to
house non-evidentiary fighting dogs. It
appears that as one activity increases,
others follow, indicating that they are
interconnected.
One private security firm sponsored a
dog fighting tip line which resulted in
19 raids in just one year. In South
Carolina, a shelter worker blew the
whistle on the Shelter Director
and inmates who were working at the
shelter, all involved in dog fighting.
Investigation turned up bodies of
dogs and cats in a landfill, and local
news media broke the story in March
2011. As a result, 4 shelter employees
were put on administrative leave. In
just that one SC shelter case, local
news sources revealed:
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Dozens of dogs were shot and dumped
in a landfill across the street from
the Chesterfield County SC Animal
Control facility.
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Cats that had been beaten over the
head with a pipe.
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of the animals had been killed by
humane euthanasia.
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Incredibly, the shelter director,
Brian Burch, a convicted drug
felon, was in charge of the
euthanasia drugs. One of the drugs
commonly used for euthanasia is
Ketamine, known on the street as
Special K, a date rape drug.
The DEA states that Ketamine is
a target in veterinary clinic
robberies. {4}
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Shelter director Burch breeds and
sells dogs with bloodlines from
Michael Vick’s Pit Bull kennels.
Again, no background check?
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The shelter had equipment which
could be used to train dogs to
fight.
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Cages of scarred pit bulls often had
tags “Hold for Brian Burch”.
The sheriffs department turned that case
over to the State Law Enforcement
Division (SLED). Citizens held a rally
on the steps of their State House in
April; the four employees were fired in
August but firing is not justice.
Dog fighting is a felony and when
inmates, working at animal shelters,
give organized crime access to dogs used
for dog fighting across state lines,
it’s a case for the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI).
Collaring Dog Fighting Rings:
Citizens are tipping authorities when
they suspect dog fighting, bringing
about investigations across the nation.
Here’s a sampling of raids in 2011:
Pennsylvania
April - Five dog fighting raids
took place, leading to a dozen arrests
and seizures of more than 30 dogs.
North Carolina
April - A county Sheriff busted
78 year old Harry Hargrove, owner
of a dog fighting operation with 40
years in the business. Hargrove was a
legend among dog fighters. The Sheriff
found 33 pit bull dogs plus training
equipment and a fight ring. In another
NC raid, Cody Ushry, Jr. was
charged with 28 dog fighting and animal
cruelty counts. Evidence revealed his
online dog sales and business cards for
Harry Hargrove. Ushry talked,
leading officers to his business
partner, Brian Devon Tucker. A
raid on Tucker followed,
resulting in 12 counts of animal cruelty
and 11 counts of cruel restraint of a
dog.
South Carolina
September - A large dog fighting
operation was raided but spectators and
dogs ran off into the woods. Only one
man was arrested and
charged with
violation of the new
Animal
Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act
but
24 dogs were
seized.
Reports of stomach turning atrocities
seen by law enforcement agents bring the
average dog owner to tears. Heart
wrenching news videos show fighting dogs
wagging their tails as they were
being carried away in the arms of
rescuers.
While most people remember the
Michael Vick case (and even football
fans shudder), few know that DMX,
an all time best-selling rapper was
indicted on felony drug possession and
misdemeanor animal cruelty charges after
his home was raided in 2007 by a SWAT
team from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s
Office in Arizona. Sheriff Joe Arpaio
{5} seized a dozen pit bull dogs and dug
up dog remains on the property. Typical
of the rich and famous, DMX only had to
serve 18 days of his 90 day sentence and
the dog fighting charges wouldn’t
stick. Even though the evidence
strongly suggested his involvement in
the horrific blood sport, DMX could only
be charged with misdemeanor animal
abuse.
The
Animal Fighting Prohibition
Enforcement Act:
Signed into law on May 3, 2007 the
Animal Fighting Act specifies any event
involving a fight between at least two
animals, conducted for the purposes of
sport, wagering, or entertainment. It
makes buying, selling, or transporting
animals for participation in animal
fighting a federal crime
with increased penalties.
While pit fighting participants and
spectators are often caught ringside
with as much as $10,000 cash in their
hands, there are also street level dog
fighters, often members of gangs, who
participate in fights that take place in
apartments and abandoned warehouses.
|
The ultimate, senseless cruelty of dog fighting is held in the trunks
of cars and is known as trunking. Dog fighters put two dogs
in the trunk of a car and ride around with the radio blasting loud music
to cover any sounds while the dogs fight to the death. |
Dog Fighting Clubs vs Citizen Vigilance:
Dog fighters connect through dog
fighting magazines and social media
websites. So do scammers, who see dog
fighting activities as a gold mine.
ASPCA reported that puppiesprofits.com
is a hoax site targeting dog fighting
criminals with registration fees of
nearly $1,000.
Georgia, where there was no shortage of
dog fighting raids in 2010, gave public
workshops on how to recognize the signs
of dog fighting. Nobody
should miss the obvious signs such as
multiple pit bull dogs, heavily chained,
with raggedly (scissored off) cropped
ears and with fighting scars on their
faces, legs, and body.
Pet owners in Florida have been meeting
with law enforcement groups to halt the
rising crime of dog theft
which if often tied to dog fighting.
Most stolen dogs were pit bull types but
all types of pets are stolen for use as
ring bait to enhance the ability and
desire to kill other dogs.
While it should not take a reward to get
someone to call in a tip, a $5,000
bounty on the head of dog fighters may
help bring about justice. If enough
people take up the cause, we can help
law enforcement wipe out pit fighting
and put a serious dent in all the other
connected criminal activities. We can’t
let dogs continue to be a gold mine for
criminals. It is torturous to dogs and
leads to more Breed Specific Laws,
problematic for dog lovers as well as
dog breeders.
{1}
Dog Food Conspiracy & Blue Barrels
{2}
CUR = Canine Underground Railroad
{3}
Dumping Cheaper Than Transporting
{4}
Veterinary Clinics Thefts Of Ketamine
{5}
Arizona
Sheriff Joe Arpaio
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