Marty
06-18-2005, 09:50 AM
Montgomery, AL -- A Montgomery man was arrested Friday on drug charges and could face additional animal cruelty charges after 17 pit bulls were found chained in the back yard of his home.
Authorities believe the dogs were used for dog fights.
Arenz Myrick, 23, of 4247 Burtonway Drive is accused of unlawful possession of a controlled substance after 9.5 pounds of marijuana and 40 pills of what police said appeared to be ecstasy where found inside his home.
Police also confiscated an ***ault rifle and a .357-caliber pistol while executing a search warrant at the address.
Myrick has a history of drug-related charges, police said, but weapons and drugs were not all that were found at the home.
"While on the scene, police located a homemade kennel with several dogs inside," said Lt. Huey Thornton, spokesman for the Montgomery Police Department.
Police contacted the Montgomery Humane Society, which was issued a warrant about 4:30 p.m. to confiscate the animals and search the premises for dog-fighting materials.
Humane Society authorities found 17 pit bulls in various states of poor health.
"The dogs have been given minimal water, and they've suffered a lot of neglect and a lot of scars," said Steven Tears, director of operations for the Montgomery Humane Society.
Holes dug in the ground served as water bowls from which the dogs could drink.
"That's a tenth of the water these animals need," Tears said.
Authorities said materials found in the home confirmed the animals were used either directly in dog fights or for breeding purposes related to dog fights.
"We definitely feel these dogs were used for fighting," Tears said. "There is paraphernalia here that shows that the dogs have been trained to attack other animals. The back yard of the premises had a fenced-in dirt area that could have been where they fought the dogs."
Tears said each animal will be evaluated to determine if it can be adopted.
"Unfortunately, they are bred to be aggressive toward other animals," Tears said. "If they are not able to be adopted because of their aggression, then we will be forced to euthanize the animals."
Tears said that with the exception of one dog, the animals seemed to merely want attention and were easily approached by officers at the scene.
"We only had to bring one dog out with a pole," Tears said. "The others were simply brought out with leashes."
Myrick could face additional charges related to the alleged dog fighting, authorities said.
"I know he'll face 17 counts of animal neglect and the dog-fighting charges as well," Tears said.
Tears said dog fighting reinforces stereotypes about breeds like pit bulls.
He asked the community to look out for dog fighting in their neighborhoods.
"If anyone thinks this is going on in their neighborhood, please notify us because these animals are not safe for your children and they are not safe to be in your community," Tears said.
Authorities believe the dogs were used for dog fights.
Arenz Myrick, 23, of 4247 Burtonway Drive is accused of unlawful possession of a controlled substance after 9.5 pounds of marijuana and 40 pills of what police said appeared to be ecstasy where found inside his home.
Police also confiscated an ***ault rifle and a .357-caliber pistol while executing a search warrant at the address.
Myrick has a history of drug-related charges, police said, but weapons and drugs were not all that were found at the home.
"While on the scene, police located a homemade kennel with several dogs inside," said Lt. Huey Thornton, spokesman for the Montgomery Police Department.
Police contacted the Montgomery Humane Society, which was issued a warrant about 4:30 p.m. to confiscate the animals and search the premises for dog-fighting materials.
Humane Society authorities found 17 pit bulls in various states of poor health.
"The dogs have been given minimal water, and they've suffered a lot of neglect and a lot of scars," said Steven Tears, director of operations for the Montgomery Humane Society.
Holes dug in the ground served as water bowls from which the dogs could drink.
"That's a tenth of the water these animals need," Tears said.
Authorities said materials found in the home confirmed the animals were used either directly in dog fights or for breeding purposes related to dog fights.
"We definitely feel these dogs were used for fighting," Tears said. "There is paraphernalia here that shows that the dogs have been trained to attack other animals. The back yard of the premises had a fenced-in dirt area that could have been where they fought the dogs."
Tears said each animal will be evaluated to determine if it can be adopted.
"Unfortunately, they are bred to be aggressive toward other animals," Tears said. "If they are not able to be adopted because of their aggression, then we will be forced to euthanize the animals."
Tears said that with the exception of one dog, the animals seemed to merely want attention and were easily approached by officers at the scene.
"We only had to bring one dog out with a pole," Tears said. "The others were simply brought out with leashes."
Myrick could face additional charges related to the alleged dog fighting, authorities said.
"I know he'll face 17 counts of animal neglect and the dog-fighting charges as well," Tears said.
Tears said dog fighting reinforces stereotypes about breeds like pit bulls.
He asked the community to look out for dog fighting in their neighborhoods.
"If anyone thinks this is going on in their neighborhood, please notify us because these animals are not safe for your children and they are not safe to be in your community," Tears said.