WASHINGTON, July 8, 2009
Feds Nab 30 in Largest Dogfight Raid Ever
About 350 Dogs Seized in Raids Conducted in Six States
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(istockphoto.com)
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Timeline Vick Dogfighting Case Star NFL quarterback Michael Vick in hot water over dogfighting operation.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which cooperated in the investigation, said the target was believed to be the largest dogfighting operation in U.S. history. The raids by task forces involving federal, state and local law enforcement agencies were conducted across Missouri, southern Illinois and eastern Texas after a nine-month investigation.
According to the Humane Society, arrests were also made in Iowa, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
Dogfighting is banned throughout the United States and is a felony in all 50 states. President George W. Bush signed a law two years ago that increased penalties for activities that promote or encourage animal fighting after a long campaign by animal-welfare groups.
John M. Bales, the U.S. attorney in eastern Texas, said nine people in his state were indicted on June 30 of three counts - conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, sponsoring or exhibiting an animal in an animal fighting venture and buying, selling, delivering or transporting animals for participation in an animal fighting venture. If convicted, the defendants each face up to five years in federal prison and fines of up to $250,000.
Bales said eight people were arrested Wednesday in Texas' Panola and Gregg counties. Nine dogs, mostly pit bull terriers, were seized during a search of property in rural Panola County.
Bales said a veterinarian was onsite to care for the dogs along with representatives of the Humane Society. Bales said he's filed motions to put the dogs in the care of the Humane Society and asked a judge to order those charged in the case to reimburse the organization for the cost.
Indicted in Missouri were Michael "Missouri Mike" Morgan, 38; Robert Hackman, 55; Teddy “Teddy Bogart” Kiriakidis, 50; Ronald Creach, 34,; and Jack Ruppel, 35, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Prosecutors say Hackman ran the "Shake Rattle and Roll Kennel," Ruppel ran "Ozark Hillbillys Kennel," Morgan ran "Cannibal Kennel," and Creach ran "Hard Goodbye Kennel," the newspaper reports.
"The Humane Society of Missouri is vehemently opposed to this heinous blood sport," said the Humane Society of Missouri in a statement. "The way animals used in dog fighting are abused, at the hands of people for profit, is absolutely abhorrent."
© MMIX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 41 CommentsThey were responsible for the trainer who did this to my mule getting away with it.
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Check this website- look at the photos, read what happened at human hands and ask yourself why nobody in Missouri will help in this horrible abuse case! Copy, past and look at this!!! http://www.freewebs.com/tessasordeal/arequestfortessa.htm
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That's a bit simple, don't you think?
And comparing dogs fighting to ANY hunting is stupid.
How's that for interesting?
Secondly, hunting of any animal by a human 'usually' involves a quick death for the hunted animal, however it is killed. Deer, fowl, buffalo, they are all prey animals that have lived hundreds and thousands of years w/ something hunting for it, and if a human hunter intends to go out and get a deer s/he is not going to trap it and then play with it a while before killing it. There are regulations for seasonal hunting, whether you can kill males, females, babies, how many, what type of weapon even in some cases. Dogfighting, again, is designed specifically to be entertainment for lowclass humans, and the animals that get stuck in this world suffer their entire lives, however long those lives are. Fighting, hunting - totally different.
Taking a dog that finds all its happiness in interacting only with people to a dog park wouldn't be appropriate, just like taking someone who's afraid of dogs to a dog park would be illadvized. A lot of pits are that kind of dog, they're people pleasers and all of their happiness comes from human praise and attention, but if that's the kind of pit you have and you take it some place where it'll be off leash and surrounded by other dogs that want to get in its personal space, yeah, you have the potential for your dog to growl, bite, and otherwise indicate that it's not in a happy place. My pit tucks her tail and ears when another dog growls at her, and I know right away to move her away from that dog because if I leave her to her own devices she'll try to cuddle up to that dog that doesn't like her to show it that she's gentle and nice and just wants to say "hi" - which of course the other dog doesn't really care about, what it wants is for her to leave it alone.
All dogs have a personality, and all of them can get angry and frustrated or scared, and any one of those emotions can result in a spat. Flat out fighting, like what this article is about, at a dogpark ... I can't really imagine that someone would be stupid enough to take a dog with that level of aggression to a park: that would be a dog that's on two legs, straining at it's leash, foaming in the attempt to get at a dog going by; an owner that's done that to its dog would be outing a dogfighting endeavor very quickly...
What these dogs are trained to do and forced to undergo is NOT something that comes to them naturally! I can assure you! And it is not just a few dogs! Try thousands uncovered just over the last couple years.
As for everything else in your post, I do agree with you 100%.
See how they like it.
(gravy, he's talkin about chickens fighting).
Oh, nevermind...
mswolfestock is correct in assuming that some dogs may be able to be rehabbed. Rescue operations across the United States have been very successful in rehabbing some of these dogs to become excellent companion animals. Others may be too neglected, tortured, deprived, and not be in any physical or mental state to be saved, unfortunately.
I would take great pleasure in placing these repugnant excuses for human beings in a fight ring, and order these lazy cowards to fight to the death, just like the dogs. These creeps take advantage of a breed that is renown for its undying loyalty to its human masters, and proceed to exploit these dogs to nth degree!
I agree with tireslinger in that law enforcement should be given the tools to enforce curtailing the freedom of these creeps to the extent that it hurts, and their bank accounts should be attached to pay for all court costs and the care and rehab of all their animals!!
Bc there are two major types of aggression that are totally seperate here - dog-aggression and human-aggression. When the pitbull breed was designed and specialized in the early 1800's, the breeders specifically bred out human-aggressive terriors. A pitbull that will attack a human being is out of the norm for the breed, usually happens when backyard breeders start mixing in other breeds of dogs and creating irregular temperments. Pitbulls don't look at the treatment they get from humans like another human will - if I hit and kick and choke you, eventually you'll grow a pair and turn around and knock my teeth out. If I were to do that to a pitbull, most likely it will give me a very large and soulful look that apologizes for whatever it did to make me angry. Full pits are very loving animals, and it almost doesn't matter how they're treated, they will not turn on humans (if they're real pits). That's what makes dogfighting and all of the abuse that goes with it so repulsive and sick - those dogs will love their human caretakers till they die, even while their human caretakers are killing them. 5 years in jail and $250K fine isn't a strong enough punishment for the complete disregard and abuse of such unconditional love.
Dogfighting is truly a sickening practice. Dogs have intelligence and are self-aware. You really have to be warped to do this to a being that has a level of consciousness. If people must do this why can't they get siamese fighting fish and bet on those, then they can feed the loser to their cat when they are done!
Clearly, this is an on-going problem in this country, and Vick was just the beginning.
I don't need to google it, I know dog fighting has been around for a long time. You completely missed my point, but that's ok, you still have one of the best names on CBS. :)
haahahaha REHAB??? are you fkn that stupid? These dogs will be put to sleep within a month.
Look it up, or are you to,"fkn stupid"?
Vick gave a buttload of money to rehabilitate and care for his dogs. He did it to make it better for himself in front of the judge. These dogs won't have that luxury. ""
Many of the dogs don't need that luxury. They will get the help they need from organizations outside and often working with the Humane Society. Many can and are rehabilitated regularly. Much more goes on than makes the national news.
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