A weekly digest of Monitor views and insightful commentary on major events. "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. The dogs were taken to temporary shelters in undisclosed locations. 2023 Cable News Network. The U.S. Attorneys Office in Montgomery, Alabama; the Auburn, Alabama, police; and the FBI teamed up with the Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to investigate the dogfighting and free the canines from captivity. The Christian Science Monitor has expired. Weve had quite a few in the last few weeks, people wanting to surrender their pets, she said. The three most recent Christian Science articles with a spiritual perspective. Smugglers drive Thailands grim trade in dog meat. The dogs are taken out of their cage for about 45 minutes a day to exercise. 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." Dog fighting ring spanned at least three southern states. The prognosis is good: Kirk said she believes with the proper care this dog will have a good quality of life. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Maybe one day, the dogs, like 917, can have real names instead of numbers. Even a water bowl is new for them they are afraid of everything.. These defendants were betting between $5,000 and $200,000 on one dogfight, Beck said. April 4, 2017. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. or call us at 1-617-450-2300. The name has been applied historically to several breeds of dogsincluding the bull terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and Staffordshire Bull . 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. If you need help with the Public File, call 407-291-6000. A Warner Bros. Monitor journalism changes lives because we open that too-small box that most people think they live in. Matthew Wright For Dailymail.com VIDEO: Pit Bull Fighting Ring Busted. Next the dog is put in the keep, an intensive training program before its first fight. "I believe if Dante were alive today and rewriting the 'Inferno' that the lowest places in hell would be reserved for those who commit cruelty to our animals and to our children," U.S. Attorney George Beck said at a news conference. French bulldogs and Olde Boston Bulldogges (or Old Boston Bulldogs) killed household vermin and therefore made valuable pets. The videos were presented at a detention hearing after eight people from the Tallahassee area were indicted on federal dogfighting charges. Raids conducted across northern Florida resulted in the rescue of almost 100 dogs. All rights reserved. Each of the chains were heavy gauge. The others are in the care of the Humane Society. Twelve people were charged with felony dogfighting and two were convicted on additional charges of disorderly house and convicted felon in possession of a firearm. An undercover video obtained by NBC News offers a disturbing glimpse inside a Florida dogfighting operation. A walk past the cages will prompt some dogs to incessantly bark, others to jump up and down. "How Dogfighting Works" 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. Since arriving in the shelter this dog has been dewormed and given medicine for fleas and to manage pain. In one yard, 114 dogs, the majority tethered to heavy chains, sat in 90 degree heat, scratching at fleas, with no fresh water or food visible anywhere on the property. Pit Bull fights and for that matter all staged dog fights, are considered felonies across most of the USA, yet the industry continues to thrive under a veil of secrecy. By They were taken to Halifax Humane Society but their current condition is unknown. contact customer service Although there is sometimes a misconception that dog fighting is only an activity engaged in by the poor, the uneducated and career criminals, this is simply not always the case. The dogs had fleas, dirty coats, and long claws -- signs of solitary life on hard ground and indications they'd rarely been walked. By I love the big open doors and getting lots of attention I love going for walks/run. On May 14, federal agents descended on a wooded location where dogfights were underway, Mountin said. June 18, 2019, 6:53 AM PDT. Last month, authorities broke up the nation's second largest dogfighting ring, More than 370 dogs were transferred to animal welfare groups, One of those groups, the ASPCA, is rehabilitating the dogs, both physically and mentally, CNN got exclusive access to the ASPCA's rehab center. As much as I would love to parade these horribly scared dogs through the courtroom at trial I dont think any judge is going to let me, so I am not going to need the physical dogs, Morris said. Select stories from the Monitor that empower and uplift. They promote themselves as a puppy mill but they actually breed and train pitbulls for FIGHTING. A 30-count federal indictment charges that from 2009 to 2013, the 11 suspects conspired to promote and sponsor dogfighting and to possess, buy, sell, transport and deliver dogs for fighting. He has since been released from the Volusia County Jail. Thirty-six pit bulls -- ranging in age from one week to 7 years -- were seized in raids at the so-called kennels at 38 Birch St. and 135 Irving Ave. in Wyandanch, Suffolk County police and the New . Shocking video obtained by an undercover informant shows the violent and horrific proceedings of a Florida dogfighting ring.. Cockfights generally dont last as long as dogfights, but like dogfights, gambling is an integral feature of cockfights and a fight often results in the death of at least one of the birds. subscription. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. In addition to physical exercise, they try to stimulate the dogs mentally by hiding their food in these red puzzle toys. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]. It was a multistate raid that took place in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Texas and led to the arrest of 12 people. "It's barbaric, despicable and illegal.". Daytona Beach police say they rescued 42 pit bulls from a dog fighting ring. I'm seeking a loving home. You dont have a Christian Science Monitor improve functionality and performance. Dogs have long been used as hunting companions, defenders of property and protectors of livestock against poachers and wild animals. On May 14, agents conducted a raid and recovered 'a couple more dogs,' noting that there was a bloody fighting pit. When he was found, the 8-week-old puppy weighed less than five pounds and had been left in the scorching sun, wearing a chain around his neck that weighed four times as much as he did. The investigation remains ongoing. Youll get the Monitor Weekly magazine, the Monitor Daily email, and unlimited access to CSMonitor.com. Its really a sad day to me and a sad day of affairs in the state of Alabama to have to even indulge in this type of criminal activity and prosecution, said U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. I believe if Dante were alive today and were rewriting The Inferno, that the lowest places in hell would be reserved for those who commit cruelty to our animals and to our children. He was referring to The Divine Comedy, the epic poem by Dante Alighieri. [TRENDING: Fire destroys former US Reps home | FDLE: Principal rigged homecoming votes | Can employer make you get vaccine?]. MONROE COUNTY, Miss. Stay informed about the latest scientific discoveries & breakthroughs. Sometimes, we call things boring simply because they lie outside the box we are currently in.. To some this is their point of view; others see Pit Bulls as viscous, threating, and deadly dogs (Dogs Bite). 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. continue to use the site without a My current home has a H.O.A who don't like big dogs. The clip, filmed at a wooded area near Tallahassee, shows two pit . 2. 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. Authorities say the eight suspects participated in a large-scale illegal dogfighting ring that operated in northern Florida from 2014 through 2019. 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. Like dogfighting, cockfighting is connected to other illegal activities such as gambling, firearms and drugs. "If the public recognizes someone in this video, we encourage them to contact our office at 850-942-8430," Mountin said. appreciated. "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. "We became more aware that dogfighting was a significant side enterprise, so to speak, that this group was involved with," Mountin said. Check out News 6 at Nine for the latest news and more. By Aliza Nadi and Rich Schapiro. County officials are asking the public to always keep an eye out for these situations in your neighborhood. "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. The footage, shot by a confidential government informant, was obtained by NBC News after eight people were indicted on federal dogfighting charges. Shelter workers have identified six pregnant dogs, but based on experience they expect to find anywhere between five to 10 more to be pregnant. Officials with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Humane Society of the United States said the organizations are caring for the animals at undisclosed locations, and the animals will have to be kept as evidence while the case progresses. It is often used on fighting dogs, according to authorities. But Mountin shared that they didn't detain any suspects during the raid. It's a historic building, declared a Site of Cultural Interest owned by the Real Maestranza de . CNN . "If you dont see [it], you cant fully appreciate the cruelty.". August 27, 2013 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. Police said many were kept in cages that were covered in feces and urine and provided little room for movement while others were weighed down by heavy chains and wore collars so tight they had to be cut off their necks. The Seminole County Sheriff's Office said they went to . SPCA Chief Inspector Andries Venter and Inspector Fox Marais investigate suspicious goings-on at a house in Woodstock, and uncover a pitbull fighting operati. He called the arrests a political stunt. The three arrested suspects are facing felony charges of animal fighting and animal cruelty. Recently, the last surviving pit bull from Vick's dogfighting ring passed away. Copyright 2021 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved. "He doesn't breed dogs, sell dogs, fight dogs -- none of that," said Wheeler's lawyer. 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