VA: Mathis Dogfighting Retrial Set, Specialist Voices Concern for Dogs

Mathis Dogfighting Retrial Set, Specialist Voices Concern for Dogs
Posted: Nov 12, 2015 5:20 PM EST
Updated: Nov 12, 2015 7:15 PM EST

FLUVANNA COUNTY, Va (WVIR) -A Fluvanna County dog fighting case already nearly two years in the making will have to wait until next summer for trial.

In January, Judge Susan Whitlock declared a mistrial in the Brenton Mathis case, just as the jury was set to hear closing arguments. The court discovered a sheriff’s deputy had transported evidence without the judge’s permission,

Thursday, Judge Whitlock postponed the re-trial. The defense says it needs more time to review transcripts from the first trial.

Mathis is facing eight felony dogfighting charges and 10 misdemeanor animal cruelty charges. Investigators seized 10 pit bulls from Mathis' mother's property back in January 2013.

Canine behavioral special Cheryl Falkenburry is a former employee at the Fluvanna County SPCA. As of July, that SPCA was still holding some of the dogs from Mathis’ case.

"A dog who has been in the kennel that long hasn't learned any of the behaviors of how to act in the human world," Falkenburry said.

Falkenburry says she was concerned when she saw the dogs’ behavior at the SPCA.

“Two of them were doing alright, they were pretty chill in their cages. But two of them were bounding like kangaroos at the gate, showing a lot of frustration, not necessarily aggression. I didn't evaluate these dogs, I just saw them jumping with frustration at the front of the gate," the specialist said.

Their early evaluations after being seized, serve as evidence in the case against Mathis. Veterinarians on the stand in January testified to aggressive behaviors that hadn't gone away many months later.

Falkenburry fears what would happen should the SPCA decide to put the animals up for adoption, noting that the dog’s frustration can build in redirected aggression the longer it is in a cage.

"Can you imagine being locked in a small pen day in and day out?" she asked.

The SPCA won't confirm whether it still has any of those dogs on site.

Mathis's case was supposed to go back to trial starting Thursday, November 19, but it's now postponed until July of 2016



Mathis Dogfighting Retrial Set, Specialist Voices Concern for Do - NBC29 WVIR Charlottesville, VA News, Sports and Weather