26 Charged In Dog Fighting
Here’s some updated information pertaining to yesterday’s breaking news. It appears the dog fighting rings were not connected but it is still the largest coordinated rescue in U.S. history.
ST. LOUIS - The authorities seized more than 400 dogs on Wednesday and charged 26 people from seven states in what officials called one of the largest crackdowns on dogfighting in the United States.
State and federal agents staged raids in several states, picking up individuals in Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.
In Missouri, prosecutors said members of a multistate ring routinely destroyed injured dogs by shooting them “in the head, throwing the dogs into the river or burning the dogs in a barrel.”
The arrests stem from the same investigation, but officials said the rings were not necessarily connected, and United States attorneys in four districts – the Eastern District of Missouri, the Western District of Missouri, the Southern District of Illinois and the Eastern District of Texas – will try the cases separately.
“The allegation is not that this was one concentrated, organized conspiracy,” said Don Ledford, a spokesman for the acting United States attorney for the Western District of Missouri, Matt Whitworth. “This was not one big ring.”
In Missouri, the authorities charged 12 people; in Texas federal prosecutors charged nine men; and in Illinois the authorities charged five men with, among other things, buying, selling and breeding animals for dogfighting.
“This is the largest coordinated rescue in U.S. history,” said Kathy Warnick, president of the Humane Society of Missouri, whose organization is caring for more than 300 of the dogs. “This is going to send a vehement message that dogfighting will not be tolerated in the civilized society.”
Let’s hope all the perpetrators involved will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. It’s time to let the individuals who participate in this barbaric sport know that it will no longer be tolerated, they will be caught and punished.
In 2007 George W. Bush signed into law the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act, making dog fighting a felony. Each count is now punishable with a fine up to $250,000 and a maximum of five years imprisonment.
*ADOPTABLE: You’ll find Sterling on Dogster’s adoption pages, she’s a beautiful 1-year-old in MO. looking for a forever home.
How anyone could even attempt to call dogfighting a “sport” is beyond my comprehension . . .
With so many dogs out there in need of loving homes, adding even more suffering, death, and injury to our furry friends is absolutely inhuman.
As overcrowded as the federal prisons are, we will be sure to make room for these scum bags for, hopefully, a very long time. If they can so callously shoot an injured defenseless animal in the head then there is no telling what other atrocities they are capable of committing against people.
And now they need help taking care of and housing all of those dogs, so donate what you can: http://member.hsmo.org/site/PageNavigator/Federal_dog_fighting_case_7_8_09
Maybe we can just house them in the same place they forced those dogs to live. Big chains around their necks, tied to a barrel..whatever. Turn them out in yard and let them scrap it out. Ya, I like that idea.
If I were to say what I truly feel about the scum who have perpetrated these atrocities I’d be thrown off Dogster, but suffice it to say – Amy, I agree with you one thousand percent.
Burn these monsters on the stake. They don’t deserve to be called human.
I don’t understand how anyone can cause such suffering amoung another and be involved in such horrid acts. More than 400 dogs? That is just disgusting, horrible. What is our world coming to? I doubt they feel any amount of guilt.
I can’t even stand to think of this…burning them? Shooting them? Throwing them in rivers?
Repulsive.
People are understandably focused on the perpetrators, but this site is about dogs so let’s hope these dogs are actually rescued and not just killed.
http://www.nathanwinograd.com/?p=1559
use these sick monsters in lab testing,not helpless animals that give us unconditional love!!!!
this is so disguisting to think that people breed animals for hatered isn’t there enough in the world. as it is those dogs are not the most normal tempered animals in the world.
I have a Brindal pit bull female . I can not fathem anyone would victimize these dogs. They are very gentle dogs with alot of energy, and very loyal dogs willing to please there owners. I can only speculate thats why these crimanaly minded people would use these loveing , sweet dogs to fight. Its a crying shame to see so many of these types of dogs put down , due to human ignorance!
nothing will ever really change until incredibly stiff penalties – major felonies with more than a 5-year MAX – are imposed on these criminals. I give regularly to the ALDF (Animal League Defense Fund) for this reason. What needs to change are the LAWS. What kind of human being can burn a dog in a barrel? I consider it almost akin to murdering a child.
I totally agree with Amy – it is beyond comprehension to imagine people committing this type of mayhem on defenseless dogs. I believe how you live comes back to you, but it will be too long coming for these Michael Vick wannabes. I am hoping they will start raiding the Amish dog breeders who hide behind their “simple life” but continue to keep dogs in horrendous conditions while running these puppy mills.
Such cruelty inflicted on these lovely creatures, some of us call, FAMILY.
It is unfathomable to think that a ‘human’ could turn into such a monster, for what, a few dollars?
I hope these people aren’t planning their afterlife in a place called, HEAVEN, because they surely are going to ROT IN HELL
I have a dog named Thumper and he is part pit bull, lab and spaniel. He is the most wonderful baby in the entrie world and is so loving. He loves everybody – cats, little dogs, his family and being outside people watching. His daddy looked more of a pit bull and he was a lap dog and cuddle puppy. I can’t imagine how anyone could look into a dog’s eyes that are so full of love and trust and hurt them or do anything but cover them with kisses.
Nah, I’ve got the perfect solution for these perps who did this to the dogs. Chain them up, give them just a little shot of a drug to make them woozy and then unleash the pit bulls on them to allow the dogs to dole out the punishment. Let the perps witness first hand what the so called “dog fighting sport” is. With any luck the dogs will kill the perps so they don’t lay waste in prison with our tax dollars supporting them. Do this often enough to all of these types of people and there won’t be any more such problems.
Give me 1 hour with a base ball bat, one at a time. And beat the daylight out these scumbags… They should have no rights. I have 2 part pit bulls they are so loyal… this is just terrible..
I agree with Gloria. I have 2 dogs not pits, but it’s how these low lifes raise them. And that goes for any breed you raise them in your family and they are great dogs.
I have a 7 month old blue pitbull who looks like one in the picture. He is the sweetest dog in the world! My two rat terriers think they are bigger than him and boss him around and he lets them! I have two children ages 11 and 6 and he is like a nanny to them. If one cries he runs over and licks them to see what is wrong.
Because of this fighting BS people get the wrong idea of these dogs. They are one of the most loyal breeds as stated and only fight to please their owners as trained to do. My family and I are scared to death that soon the part of FL we live in will put a ban on these dogs like many states have due to their unfair bad rep. Baning is pretty stupid because these people who are fighting the dogs are breaking the law and hiding the dogs. Banning will not stop them. What they need to do is give a more harsh punishment to those who hold and participate in these fights. Mandatory prison time.
I can’t understand people who are so disrepectful of life; animal, fauna, and human. They are the ones in this world that make us fume and want to disrepect them in return. No matter how much we fine them or how long we send them to jail, it’s just not enough. More stringent measures are needed. Maybe public humiliation will do more good. How about using stocks so we can taunt them? They need humiliation.
Gloria…Do you need any help with the baseball bat??????
Gloria…..I have several BATS….would gladly do the deed with you. It would be FUN!!!
To see how they like being treated , with such hatred. I’d make them dance and bark at the same time.
I am so happy that there are so many people working so diligently to put a stop to this horrible atrocity. I cannot understand how someone can be so unbelievably evil to hurt something so innocent. I think there ought to stiffer for penalties to any involved in this crap. Maybe if people start doing some real hard time maybe we can put a stop to this. It is just sick.
it’s awful how people do such awful things to these dogs, they are so pleasant and good pets. all these people who fight them give them a bad name and say they “are bad”, they’re not. they are as lovin as any other pet. they need to buckle down on the fighting rings in fla. they know where they are and let them go at it. unfair to anyone who ownes one.
Every time i read this stuff i get more p****. when they catch these people it should be 5 years right off the bat, then 2 years for every dog they kill.