FL: Putnam case shows dogfighting still goes on

Putnam case shows dogfighting still goes on
By Cindy Swirko
Staff writer
Published: Thursday, December 24, 2015 at 10:05 a.m.


This photo provided by the Putnam County Sheriff's Office shows the cage in the middle of the woods between Interlachen and Hawthorne where deputies discovered a dogfighting operation.

A rural Putnam County dog fight that drew about 100 people Saturday night is evidence that despite high-profile cases and increased law enforcement attention, the practice continues across the country, animal advocates said.

Stephanie Bell, director of cruelty investigations for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said fighting ranges from kids setting their dogs on one another in the street to rings that are large-scale criminal enterprises.

In likely the most high-profile dogfighting case, National Football League quarterback Michael Vick was convicted in 2007 of hosting and running a dogfighting ring on his property.

"Certainly the Michael Vick case illuminated that this is a problem and I think it raised awareness for the public and law enforcement,” Bell said. “It isn't a commonplace, everyday thing in every community, but it certainly still exists. There are underground rings that are alive and well. It's imperative on the public to be on the lookout for this activity.”

It was a tip from the public that led Putnam County sheriff's deputies to find the fight, tucked away in the woods between Interlachen and Hawthorne, around midnight Saturday.

A complaint was made about barking dogs and people yelling late at night. Arriving deputies found a man sleeping in a white pickup truck who said he had driven a friend to the site, but that he had nothing to do with what was going on in the woods.

The deputies followed an extension cord down a trail and heard several people saying, “Shhh, everybody be quiet.''

When the deputies turned on their flashlights, about 100 people scattered. One man was lying on the ground near a wheelchair and said he had been knocked over when everybody ran.

Deputies found two dogs in a fighting arena, 19 dogs in the immediate area, a digital hanging scale, two cellphones, sponges and a 12-gauge shotgun.

No one was arrested at the scene. Sheriff's Capt. Dick Schauland said arrests are expected as detectives review evidence and confirm the identities of the fight operators and spectators.

Vick served time in federal prison after it was discovered that he and several associates operated a pit bull breeding kennel, staged fights and killed under-performing dogs by electrocution, hanging, drowning and shooting.

State and federal laws are increasingly being passed regarding animal cruelty and dogfighting. In 2014, for instance, Congress made it a crime to attend an animal fight.

Florida statutes make various activities relating to animal fighting a third-degree felony. Included are: baiting, breeding, training, transporting or selling an animal for fighting; owning, leasing or having control of property for animal fighting; owning, possessing or selling equipment for fighting; facilitating fighting; gambling on fighting and attending a fight.

In addition to the dogs Putnam County deputies seized, a shotgun was also found at the scene. The ancillary crimes that often come with dogfighting are another reason law enforcement is paying more attention to it.

“This is certainly not petty crime,” Bell said. “One of the things that motivates law enforcement in dogfighting, aside from the fact that it's extremely cruel and brings incredible suffering, are the other criminal activities that are often going on at the same time — illegal guns, drugs, gambling, sometimes children in the crowd.”

In 2007, in the wake of the Vick case, Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell had more officers trained in how to spot the signs of potential dogfighting or the remnants of it, noting that it was occurring in the county.

Sheriff's spokesman Art Forgey said this week that since then, few reports of fighting have been worked by the agency.

“I haven't seen a report in three or four years where someone has called in speculating that it was going on,” Forgey said. “I'm sure it's probably out there somewhere but we don't seem to have an issue with it."

Bell said the public should be alert to possible dogfighting and report it to authorities.

Large dogfighting rings are secretive and underground, making them difficult to root out, she said.

“One thing I would impress on people is to speak out. If you see two kids on the street corner dueling their dogs, or if you know a breeder who you suspect is selling to fighters, law enforcement should be contacted,” Bell said. “I would impress on the public how utterly barbaric and vicious this is. It's called a blood sport for a reason and it leaves innocent animals mangled and broken.”

Putnam case shows dogfighting still goes on | Gainesville.com