If youre looking for bran muffin journalism, you can subscribe to the Monitor for $15. The dog takes the treat and Wilkinson-Kenner gives the dog a break by throwing the next treat away from her to reduce the animals anxiety from being so close to a human. Smugglers drive Thailands grim trade in dog meat. She is on her knees in a pen reserved for training and she has the dog on a leash. The puppies that were in cages appeared to be trying to escape the wire cages by biting and yanking the wires on the doors and tops of the cages, records show. His ears stand straight up and he cowers in the corner of his cage as his body trembles. They promote themselves as a puppy mill but they actually breed and train pitbulls for FIGHTING. The Humane Society hopes that other rescued dogs, all pit bulls taken from a dog-fight . Recently, the last surviving pit bull from Vick's dogfighting ring passed away. . Some dogs pulled at chains and cables that were tethered to cinder blocks and car tires. Getting the animal into top physical condition is often the priority for those who train fighting dogs, and that usually begins with a few months lifting a heavy chain. Police noted that the dogs showed signs of aggression, including baring their teeth and barking. "His body condition score is probably 2 out of 9. Additional arrests are expected. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. A total of 42 pit bulls, some of them just puppies and many of them covered in scars and wounds, were removed from a property that was being used for dog fighting, according to the Daytona Beach Police Department. By Aliza Nadi and Rich Schapiro. Dog fighting ring spanned at least three southern states. The chains ranged in length from 7 feet long to 18 feet long with the lightest chain weight 3.7 lbs and the heaviest chain weight of 12.5 lbs, the report read. Thirty-six pit bulls were rescued from cruel conditions and three people were arrested in a sting on a dog-fighting ring on Long Island, authorities said Thursday. Select stories from the Monitor that empower and uplift. The goal is to turn these fighting dogs into animals that can be pets or work as rescue and rehabilitation animals. This puppy was one of 372 dogs rescued in what authorities say was the second largest dog fighting ring in the United States. Were the bran muffin of journalism. Authorities executed 13 warrants in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Texas, which led to 12 arrests. Discovery Company. Trainee Inspector Wayne Hector confiscates six ponies when their owner fails to provide safe, clean stabling for them. In 2010 we got a tip from a drug defendant that there were high-stakes dogfighting going on in Lee County, Alabama, said Clark Morris, a federal prosecutor in Alabama. Four of the suspects including the alleged ringleader, Jermaine "Tank" Hadley were arrested in May on federal drug trafficking charges. Daytona Beach police say they rescued 42 pit bulls from a dog fighting ring. The government plans to forfeit the rights to the dogs and Morris hopes that permanent custody will go to the organizations that are currently caring for them. A search warrant was executed and animal control was brought in to investigate. Investigators say that the eight suspects participated in a large-scale illegal dogfighting operation in northern Florida from 2014 through 2019. 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Were about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, You are bigger and more capable than you realize. All rights reserved, NBC 4 to Exclusively Air and Stream Live Coverage of 262nd St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 17, Man Steals American Airlines Bus at JFK Airport, Doesn't Get Caught Until He Hits Manhattan, Next Winter Storm May Bring Even More Snow to NYC Area This Week: What to Know, This 26-Year-Old Pays $0 to Live in a Luxury Tiny Home' She Built for $35,000 in Her Backyard Take a Look Inside, 4 Ferraris Stolen on Long Island in Service Center Heist, The World's Best Tasting Tap Water Has Been Chosen And it Isn't From Anywhere in the US. Hicks said to try to find a shelter to adopt the dogs out for you or make sure you do the research on the person yourself. This is going on all over the United States across socioeconomic lines, across racial lines, it is prevalent, it is pervasive, it is deep underground.. On Monday, Dec. 20, it was confirmed that Frodo, the last surviving pup from Vick's 2007 dogfighting operations, died at about 15 years old, according to People. Subscribe to Our World: https://bit.ly/3xnPuGLAll the animals in the house are confiscated and the owner is placed under arrest. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. That led to an investigation in Alabama that turned up more evidence of dogfighting in nearby states. The others are in the care of the Humane Society. The footage shot by a confidential government informant shows two pit bulls locked in a fight to the death as a group of men look on in a wooded location near Tallahassee. My work in Kenya, for example, was heavily influenced by a Christian Science Monitor article I had forced myself to read 10 years earlier. Copyright 2021 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved. Charged are: Donnie Anderson, 48, and Michael Martin, 54, both of Auburn, Ala.; Demontt Allen, 37, of Houston; William Antone Edwards, 42, of Brantley, Ala.; William Oneil Edwards, 39, and Robin Stinson, 40, both of Elba, Ala.; Lawrence Watford, 35, of Adel, Ga.; Ricky Van Le, 24, of Biloxi, Miss. April 4, 2017. Following this prohibition, dogfighting developed as a distinct practice, with dogs being pitted against one another rather than bulls. Most of the defendants also are charged with conducting an illegal gambling business. Shocking video obtained by an undercover informant shows the violent and horrific proceedings of a Florida dogfighting ring. Hi! According to Ponders arrest report, he attempted to leave the scene and when officers began to initiate a traffic stop, Ponder threw several items out of his car before stopping. According to the warrant provided by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), on Feb. 14, 52-year-old Burton Lashawn Mincey Jr. was discovered to be in possession of a pitbull for purposes of "fighting or baiting." Pitbull rescued from dog fighting ring heals along with his owners . MorrisAdmin. subscription. Attorney General William Tong is calling for the state to take custody of eight pit bulls seized in a raid at a property in Meriden that authorities say is tied to an investigation into a . In addition to physical exercise, they try to stimulate the dogs mentally by hiding their food in these red puzzle toys. And we can prove it.. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. While these dogs may have been saved from a life a torture, the ASPCA estimates there are more than 40,000 dogfighters in the United States who are putting hundreds of thousands of animals through the brutal training to become fighting dogs. 2. A lot of people have this misperception of fighting dogs being big brutish pit bulls that are killers, said Ehren Melius, the shelters senior manager, who spends all day with the dogs. We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. What we will do is go to each dog individually and assess their strengths and their weaknesses, said Bershadker. 2023 Cable News Network. you are agreeing to our, One month free trial to theMonitorDaily, How these HBCU presidents fixed their colleges financial futures. And Im going to argue that we change lives precisely because we force open that too-small box that most human beings think they live in. A total of 42 pit bulls, some of them just puppies and many of them covered in scars and wounds, were removed from a property that was being used for dog fighting, according to the Daytona Beach Police Department. 10:10 EST 19 Jun 2019 If you don't see [it], you can't fully appreciate the cruelty.'. Hadley's lawyer did not respond to a request for comment. Those arrested have since entered pleas of not guilty to a variety of federal charges, including conspiracy to promote and sponsor dogfights and conducting a gambling business. That case became known as the "Missouri 500.". Sophie, the aggressive dog that was euthanized, had allegedly been touted for her powess as a dogfighter, having been bred from another pit bull that had won multiple fights. You have your own personal pets, you know the kind of care they need. At one time, they were nicknamed "nursemaid's dogs" because of their friendly demeanor toward children. "If the public recognizes someone in this video, we encourage them to contact our office at 850-942-8430," Mountin said. Like dogfighting, cockfighting is connected to other illegal activities such as gambling, firearms and drugs. The bullring is widely considered the oldest bullfighting ring in Spain and definitely one of the most beautiful and majestic in the world. The other seven suspects named in the dogfighting indictments include: 27-year-old Devar Donaldson, 23-year-old Sariem McMillian, 47-year-old Randell Colston, 35-year-old Bob Streets, 35-year-old Zanntayfey Bennett, 45-year-old Dennis Howard and 37-year-old Leonard Safford. Certified dog trainer Cinder Wilkinson-Kenner moves slowly as she works to gain the trust of an older dog that also has been labeled fearful. All Rights Reserved. The rescued dogs are being sheltered by the ASPCA in order to allow them to heal. All Rights Reserved. Next the dog is put in the keep, an intensive training program before its first fight. logged you out. Daytona Beach police say they removed 42 pit bulls from a dog fighting ring. Coffee County Sheriff David Sutton said the dogs at one Elba home were covered by fleas and were secured by heavy chains connected to car axles buried in the ground. Police noted that the dogs showed signs of aggression, including baring their teeth and barking. Many of the dogs had wounds that were in various stages of healings and scars on their heads, forelimbs and flanks, areas dogs often target during fights, according to the affidavit. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals converted an air-conditioned warehouse into a temporary shelter to care for 253 of the dogs. | "They are finally getting a loving hand from responders who care for these dogs, but sadly there are many other dogs out there going through this type of abuse," ASPCA vice president Tim Rickey said. Weve had quite a few in the last few weeks, people wanting to surrender their pets, she said. It's a historic building, declared a Site of Cultural Interest owned by the Real Maestranza de . IE 11 is not supported. Authorities are hoping they'll be retrained and then adopted. "Dogfighting is an obscenely vicious and cruel form of animal abuse that tortures animals and endangers the safety of the public," said Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. Go behind the scenes of Pit bull kennels.http://www.egentertainment.netA real look inside the world of pitbullsProduced by Erik Daniel Garcia[http://www.egen. We This may be the second largest dogfighting bust in U.S. history, but its a drop in the bucket, said Bershadker. The ASPCA is doing all it can to rehabilitate these dogs so they can eventually be given to organizations that will either find them a home as a pet, train them as work dogs, or put them in alternative placements such as a sanctuary. Latest book reviews, author interviews, and reading trends. At the ASPCA shelter, Dr. Sarah Kirk conducts an examination on one of the rescued dog. Maybe one day, the dogs, like 917, can have real names instead of numbers. Check out News 6 at Nine for the latest news and more. But you know what? Stay informed about the latest scientific discoveries & breakthroughs. I'm seeking a loving home. Federal, state and local officials simultaneously served search warrants Friday to make arrests and seize dogs in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. Normally, dogfighters wait until the canines are at least half a year old before they chain them and expose them to extreme heat or cold as part of a brutal program to transform the dogs into fighters, according to American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals CEO Matt Bershadker. The county also has a website where you can search a database for those previously charged with animal abuse. Two of the dogs had to be euthanized because they'd been attacked by their mother, authorities said. His ears stand straight up and he cowers in the corner of his cage as his body trembles. Rich Schapiro is a reporter for the NBC News Investigative Unit. Two were taken to an animal hospital for treatment but all of the dogs have now been released to rescue groups. ; David Sellers, 52, of Opelika, Ala.; Sandy Brown, 47 ,of Brownsville, Ala.; Carlton Tippens, age unavailable, of Georgia; and Irkis Forest, age unavailable, of Theodore, Ala. Get stories that empower and uplift daily. 'The clip very vividly describes the level of cruelty and depravity,' Eric Mountin, an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Florida, said to NBC News. The dogs that were chained outside only had a wooden box or plastic igloo-type structure to use as shelter, according to the affidavit. improve functionality and performance. Dogs have long been used as hunting companions, defenders of property and protectors of livestock against poachers and wild animals. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much A weekly digest of Monitor views and insightful commentary on major events. 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