FL: Organized dogfighting ring dismantled in man's home, Brevard cops say

Pot bust leads to dog fighting ring

Pot bust leads to dog fighting ring
Up to 12 dogs lived a lifetime of abuse and cruelty
By Dan Billow, WESH Published: October 25, 2014, 2:00 am Updated: October 25, 2014, 2:00 am

BREVARD COUNTY, FL (WESH) – Florida deputies looking for pot say they found something much worse, a dozen dogs shaking and chained next to a makeshift ring with blood.

Clearly terrified of people, up to 12 dogs lived a lifetime of abuse and cruelty, thrown into a ring to fight to the death. “They have their training leashes on them which are very heavy weighted down chains that makes the dog stronger,” said Sheriff Wayne Ivey.

Siricia Mitchell is suspected of holding dog fights in a small building on the property. The fighting ring is splashed with blood. Back in 2003, Mitchell was charged with 18 counts of animal cruelty; records show he was found guilty of two. He was also arrested in 2007 for battery on a law enforcement officer and agents found a half-dozen pounds of marijuana.

“I will tell you anything that we can work with our state attorney to put criminal charges on, for the narcotics, for the dog fighting, for the conditions of the dogs, we’re gonna load the wagon,” Sherriff Ivey continued.

“He had 41 pit bulls, I guess about 04,” Glenn Cole lives across the road but says he hasn’t seen anything wrong lately, “There’s no dog fights. I mean, I would have heard it.”

Other neighbors say they’ve seen dead pit bulls disposed of in the swampy, alligator-filled canals nearby. Authorities never suspected the dog fighting. They were here because of the marijuana. The condition of the abused dogs, pathetic and miserable, told a clear story and agents are well aware of Mitchell’s past record.

 

Marijuana is NOT a drug, it's medicine. Once we get that understood and agreed upon, the better off we'll be.

 

Officials: 8 dogs rescued in Cocoa dog-fighting ring won't walk

Officials: 8 dogs rescued in Cocoa dog-fighting ring won't walk
Shelter officials helping dogs, hope they will eventually walk
Published 6:04 PM EDT Oct 28, 2014


The following is the transcript from the news video:

A DOG SEIZED FROM A SUSPECTED DOGFIGHTING OPERATION ARE GOING TO BE OKAY AND COULD GO UP FOR ADOPTION SOON. BUT THE DOGS STILL NEED HELP. THEY DON'T SEEM TO BE ABLE TO WALK. WESH 2'S DAN BILLOW HAS BEEN COVERING THE ARREST AND SEIZURE. HE JOINS US NOW LIVE. DAN, WHY ARE THE DOGS NOT WALKING? BRETT, THE SHELTER MANAGER HERE IS NOT SURE WHY. IT MAY BE BECAUSE THEY WERE CHAINED AND CAGED FOR SO LONG BUT IT DOES SEEM THEY ARE CAPABLE OF WALKING. AND ALSO CAPABLE OF BECOMING GOOD PETS. THIS FRIGHTENED ONE-YEAR-OLD DOG HAS NEVER HAD A NAME. HE'S ONE OF EIGHT SEIZED ON FRIDAY IN CANAVERAL GROVES. THEY'VE BEEN CONFINED TO CAGES OR HEAVILY CHAINED ALL THEIR LIVES. THEY ARE TERRIFIED OF PEOPLE. THEY'RE TEM ID. THEY'RE FEARFUL. WE'RE WORKING HERE AT THE SHELTER TO GET THEM TO COME OUT OF THEIR SHELL SO THEY CAN GET ADOPTED. AT THE COMPOUND WHERE THE DOGS WERE KEPT, DEPUTIES SAY A CRUDE ARENA SPLASHED WITH BLOOD APPEARS TO BE INTENDED FOR DOGFIGHTING WHERE THE ABUSED ANIMALS WOULD FIGHT TO THE DEATH. MITCHELL IS UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY. BUT THE DOGS THEMSELVES HAVE NO FIGHTING SCARS OR WOUNDS. THEY'RE IN GOOD PHYSICAL SHAPE EXCEPT FOR ONE STRANGE THING. THEY WON'T WALK. AT LEAST NOT MUCH. IT COULD BE A FEAR RESPONSE OR THE FACT THEY'VE BEEN CONFINED SO LONG. THIS DOG DID WALK A LITTLE INTO THE BUSH AS I PATIENTLY TO HIDE. THE BEST MEDICINE? LOVE. EACH DAY WE'RE GOING TO SEE A CHANGE IN THEIR BEHAVIOR. IT'S GOING BE POSITIVE BECAUSE THESE DOGS, THEY'RE GREAT DOGS. THEY'RE LOVING. I MEAN, LOOK AT HIM. ALL EIGHT ARE VERY LIKELY TO BECOME PETS SOME DAY SOON. THEY'LL COME TO LOVE INSTEAD OF FEAR PEOPLE. BUT FOR THE TIME BEING, THEY HAVE TO BE CARRIED TO AND FROM THE EXERCISE AREA. AS PART OF THE REHABILITATION JAIL INMATES WILL WORK WITH THESE DOGS AND TEACH THEM TO GET ALONG BETTER WITH PEOPLE. THIS IS PART OF THE SUCCESSFUL PAWS AND STRIPES PROGRAM THAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS WHICH HELPS HARD TO ADOPT DOGS BECOME ADOPTABLE. IT'S GOOD FOR THE DOGS AND IT IS SAID TO BE VERY GOOD FOR THE INMATES AS WELL.


COCOA, Fla. —The eight dogs found in a suspected dog-fighting ring in Cocoa last week are not walking, but shelter officials hope that changes soon.

"Each of them are in just horrific condition. There is significant evidence of dog fighting," said Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey. "The carpet in there is stained with blood. There's the walls that they use to make the actual arena itself."
Siricia Mitchell was charged with animal cruelty and marijuana trafficking after the raid.
The dogs are mostly in good physical shape, but they will not walk. It could be a fear response, or the fact they've been confined so long, officials said.
"They're timid; they're fearful. We're working to get them to come out of their shells so they can be adopted," said Patsy Porter, who manages the shelter the dogs were taken to after their rescue last week.


Porter is hopeful that love will cure the dogs' odd behavior.
"We're gonna see a change in their behavior. It's going to be positive," Porter said. "These dogs, they're great dogs. They're loving."
The dogs are not currently up for adoption, but shelter officials hope that will change in the coming weeks.

News video at link: Officials: 8 dogs rescued in Cocoa dog-fighting ring won't walk | Local News - WESH Home