Dog Fighting

BE IN THE KNOW: DOG FIGHTING RING AT RESIDENCE BUSTED

Community Message has been issued by the:

LASD – Headquarters Newsroom (SHB)

Los Angeles County Sheriff.

Wednesday March 2, 2011 10:25 PM PST

Dog fighting at residence leads to 17 dogs, arrests,

cocaine, & kids taken into protective custody

An alleged dog fighting training operation at a Lake Los Angeles home was shut down today by sheriff’s deputies, and a couple was arrested for training dogs to fight, as well as for possession of cocaine. Their four children were taken into protective custody and seventeen pit bull dogs were recovered by animal control officers.

The dog fighting investigation began when a confidential informant called the LA County 24-hour Dog Fighting Tipline (877-662-3483) to report that people were training dogs for fighting. The tip was reported to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, who relayed the information to deputies in the Antelope Valley so it could be investigated.

Over the next month, Deputies Robert Ferrell and Fred Hill with the Sheriff’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Bureau, investigated the dog fighting case, working with officers from the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control, and Lancaster Sheriff’s Station deputies. The deputies ultimately found sufficient probable cause to be able to obtain a search warrant.

At about 4:30AM Wednesday, sheriff’s deputies from COPS Bureau, Lancaster, and Palmdale Stations, joined by L.A. Co. Animal Control officers and LA Co. Dept. of Children and Family Services, went to the home on the 41000 block of 178th St. East, Lake Los Angeles.

Once there, they found an elaborate dog fighting and training operation.

On the property they found seventeen pit bull dogs, some of which were tied to stakes in the yard. Dried blood was found on a portable wooden fighting ring that was leaning against a wall.

They also found a large amount of medical supplies, including surgical tools and medication, IV saline solution, and syringes to administer medicine and […]

BE IN THE KNOW: DOG FIGHTING RING AT RESIDENCE BUSTEDadmin2017-05-24T08:44:10-07:00

BE IN THE KNOW: DNA Is New Weapon In Fight Against Dogfighting

Article from: NPR Website

DNA Is New Weapon In Fight Against Dogfighting

by Amy Standen

September 27, 2010 from KQED

To read transcript of radiospot/interview, click HERE

Scientists are hoping that a new DNA database for dogs will help track — and prosecute — people who breed dogs to fight. But advocates say there’s a risk that the DNA records could be used against the dogs, or against people who adopt them.

The idea is to have a canine version of the FBI’s CODIS — a database of human DNA that is used to connect criminals to crime scenes. But in this case, the DNA might help prove that breeders supplied dogs to a dogfighting ring.

In July 2009, a dogfighting operation was raided in northwest Missouri. Tim Rickey, the senior director of field operations for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, recalls the scene from that morning.

Dogfighting’s Innocent Victims

Credit: Photos courtesy of the Humane Society of Missouri

“I very vividly remember getting out of the truck, and one of the first images I seen was a dog that had one of its legs chewed off in a fight,” Rickey says. “And then the owners just amputated the leg.”

More than 500 dogs were seized from sites across seven states that day, and authorities arrested 26 people. It was the largest dogfighting raid in U.S. history. Rickey says he has heard all of the excuses.

“What their cover is, is that they’re just breeding the dogs,” he says. “They don’t fight the dogs, you know — they’re just breeding dogs because they’re a lover of the breed.”

In the Missouri case, DNA samples from the dogs proved that these weren’t just random pound dogs. They were all related. Prosecutors believed this was evidence that the dogs had been bred to fight.

And that makes sense, says Beth Wictum, who directs the forensics lab at the School of Veterinary Medicine at University of California, Davis.

“Essentially by breeding these dogs they’re creating a subpopulation, almost a new breed,” she says.

BE IN THE KNOW: DNA Is New Weapon In Fight Against Dogfightingadmin2017-05-24T08:44:16-07:00

ANIMAL WELFARE COMMUNITY: KNOCK OUT DOG FIGHTING .ORG

Dogs Speak Out Against Dog Fighting from For Pits Sake on Vimeo.

WHAT WE DO:

The Knock Out Dog Fighting program has been working to end violence in our communities and stop the torture of dogs used for dog fighting for over a decade. We continue to break new ground by reaching different audiences with the message that abuse, whether to a human or animal, is not a sign of strength, power or greatness. Kris Crawford says.

Our youth intervention program for schools, community centers and juvenile detentions facilities consist of one time assembly presentations or ongoing weekly classes and workshops. We have programs specifically geared to hot spots for gang activity that have an emphasis on behavior modification for At-Risk, High-Risk, Impacted and Intentional youth and adolescents.

One of the things that is unique about our program is we don’t just go to schools or juvenile detention facilities and tell kids not to fight dogs….we work with them so they stop abusing animals AND we give them healthy alternatives. We don’t go in and say don’t do this and don’t do that. We bring in positive role models that tell them you CAN do this and you CAN do that and them we show them how! We foster hope by helping them come to the realization that they are capable of much more than they have ever dreamt possible. We engage them so they can rise above their circumstances and become champions and help us end the distress of these animals…to help us Knock Out Dog Fighting.

Spokesperson:
Mona Liza “MO” Reyes – Kris Crawford
NPC Figure Champion

“Being a champion takes drive, discipline, dedication and a whole lot of heart…. Dog fighting is animal abuse and we need your help to stop the torture and suffering of these animals. I’m exercising my strength out side of the weight room, so please join me in stopping dog fighting.”

ANIMAL WELFARE COMMUNITY: KNOCK OUT DOG FIGHTING .ORGadmin2017-05-24T08:44:23-07:00

LORI’S CORNER: Sandman + Hollywood

Every Sunday, we offer a free Pit bull walking class at the Coliseum from 9:30 – 11:30. Notice that I didn’t use the word training? It’s really not about training the dogs to sit, stay and down, which are really just tricks in the dogs’ minds. We emphasis socialization, deal with common challenges that many of us pit bull owners experience such as dog aggression, as well as offer support for students who are struggling with their dogs, perhaps even contemplating taking the dogs to the shelter or worse. Sometimes, our class is the last stop for a dog before an owner just gives up! There are often 30+ dogs in the class, there is no sign up, you can drop in or drop out, there are always new students and lots of new puppies any given week. Many of the puppies, grow up in our class like Queenie, JJ, Pretty, Big Boy, and now Handsome and Ripley.

Sunday was a really special day, Hollywood, a very famous bully who has won numerous prizes at the Atomic Dogg shows, made a grand appearance for our photo shoot with rapper Sandman Negus and his crew. Hollywood is so dog aggressive that he has to be wheeled into the park in a customized crate on wheels. I doubt anyone reading this story has ever seen something so tricked out as his “chariot”, with the metallic bronze paint job to the custom rims. Hollywood came into the park in style.

Sandman posed for some photos with Hollywood as well as some of the other class members’ dogs. These photos will be used in our 2011 calendar as well as our dog clinic flyers. Sandman has also agreed to help us put out a special message against dog fighting and protecting our breed, the American Pit bull Terrier, composing a special song about pit bulls.

LORI’S CORNER: Sandman + Hollywoodadmin2017-05-24T08:44:33-07:00

DDR DOG SPOTLIGHT: COCO!

COCO PUFF!

Coco Puff is about 5 years old, and spent most of his life chained up in a pallet yard in Pomona before his horrible owners went out of business and left him there on his chain to die. Lori remembers the first time that she met Coco at the pallet yard, he was wagging his tail like a wild out of control dog, so happy to see someone new, then the chain jerked his neck as he tried to move out more than 4 ft from where he was chained to. A pole, a heavy chain that you could tow a boat to was about all that he knew of the world.

We suspect that Coco was fought, street style dog fighting, because of all the scars on his face and legs. To look at Coco’s face is like looking at a map of abuse. Somehow, he has learned to forgive and amazingly forget the past. When he first came into our rescue, he would walk 3-4 ft forwards to the side and back, as if he was still chained to the post. This went on for months.

Eventually, by watching the other dogs, he learned how to play. He has mastered play with female dogs only and the rougher the play the better for Coco. In fact, he can play with a whole pack of female pit bulls, no issues. NO male dogs please. He enjoys his simple of life at our kennel, two play times, two meals a day, a nice dog igloo to sleep in, always being able to access fresh water while living in clean run, all things that he never had at his old place.

We are not sure if we will ever be able to find Coco a forever home. He has been in our rescue for the past two years and we have set no time limit to how long he can stay but he sure would benefit from a real home.

If you are an experience pit bull owner looking for one special dog that will be quiet, is not hyper, Coco will probably be the most appreciative dog you will ever meet if you adopt him.

So far, not one application or e-mail for this big boy in 2009, maybe 2010 will be Coco’s lucky year! We are optimistic since Coco is counting on us!

[…]

DDR DOG SPOTLIGHT: COCO!admin2017-05-24T08:44:34-07:00