Water Dept. worker accused of breeding dogs for fights

Chicago, IL -- A $32.62-an-hour hoisting engineer for Mayor Daley's scandal-ridden Department of Water Management is facing up to three years in prison for breeding and training pit bulls and bull terriers for sport fighting.

Clifford Bryant was arrested May 6 at his home in the 5900 block of West Augusta after two or three dogs tied up in his backyard were "observed with scars consistent with dog fighting," according to the state's attorney office.

Chicago Police officers armed with a warrant then searched Bryant's home and found 10 more dogs and even more evidence they were being used for fighting.

More often than not, dogs are trained for fighting for one purpose: gambling.

But Chicago Police Department spokesman David Bayless said there is "no evidence in the reports that demonstrates there is a gambling component" in Bryant's case.

"Some people do it for gang recruitment. Some people do it for sheer entertainment. I can't speak to the motives of why this individual owned and bred fighting dogs," Bayless said.

"We found the dogs in his home along with treadmills that we believe were used in training the dogs. There was medication used to treat dogs after they're injured in fights. We found some dog-fighting literature and videotapes. We seized the dogs and put them in the care of Animal Care and Control."

Remains on city payroll

Bryant was charged with two counts of cruelty to animals and one count of owning, breeding and training a fighting dog. All three charges are felonies punishable by one to three years in prison. He was arraigned last week. His next court date is July 8.

The hoisting engineer remains on the city payroll pending an investigation by Inspector General Alexander Vroustouris. Arrests of city employees routinely trigger an internal investigation by Vroustouris, who must develop his own case to set the stage for disciplinary action, according to Law Department spokeswoman Jennifer Hoyle.

Earlier this week, the feds accused another one of Water Management's hoisting engineers of running the Chicago distribution cell of a Colombian heroin trafficking ring. Last week, a long-awaited housecleaning in the department at the center of the Hired Truck scandal swept out Water Management Commissioner Rick Rice and nine politically connected underlings accused in a payroll scam.

 

Next thing I suppose is the dogs will be put down, with no real evidence! A good owner would be likely to have conditioning equipment, medicines and historical information. Brilliant!

 

What he needs to do is fight, fight, fight. If more people fought their charges, the courts would lose all incentive to do such acts. Quick $$$$. If a trial bogs down, there goes all the quick easy cash.

 

thats right dig your heels in and don't give up

 

you have to be as game as your dog if you are not you are a discrace to the breed and there for a cur piece of shit thats bad when the cops and hsus are gamer in pushing there will on us, than we are to fight it. just my thought on it :mad:

 

Money talks and you know how the rest goes. How can you fight if your hands are tied?

 

I like the fact that ppl where observing his backyard and he most likely had a privacy fence huuh America my ass

 

if your hands are tied fight with your feet

 

kenny b is about right i have been watchin these threads about people having to have money to fight and just signing over your dogs without a fight. when hsus raided me off of jerry (child melester) holcomb other wise known as irsh jerrys false accusations i didnt have a dime to fight with. if you never cur out you will never lose i dont have but one good arm and i will fight every day if i have to and when i cant do that i will crawl to fight why dont you all just sign over your kids if you are so willing to sigh over you dogs without a fight.