Post by RealPitBull on Apr 17, 2008 8:43:39 GMT -5
Seized pit bulls won't be returned to owners
By LYDA LONGA
Staff Writer
DAYTONA BEACH -- In a hushed courtroom, a video showed the misery that 32 pit bulls suffered at a house on Tucker Street.
After a three-hour hearing to determine the fate of the dogs Wednesday, a Volusia County judge had seen and heard enough to convince him the animals should not be returned to the owners because he said they were neglected and used for dogfighting.
In addition, County Judge David Foxman ordered dog owners Tharvellus Walker, Wylene Walker and Theodore Lock to pay more than $11,000 to the Humane Society for the medical care and upkeep of the 31 remaining canines and four puppies that have since been born to one of the females. One dog had to be destroyed.
The trio, who face criminal charges including animal cruelty, dogfighting and confinement, also were prohibited from owning any dogs for at least a decade.
The Walkers, who are mother and son, denied involvement, while Lock told the judge he did his best caring for the pit bulls.
Daytona Beach Police Officer Liz Devlin said the seizure was "just a drop in the bucket" because dogfighting is "so prevalent in Daytona Beach."
Devlin, who is certified in animal cruelty and has been investigating animal abuse and dogfighting cases for most of her 14-year stint with Daytona Beach, said the Michael Vick case has brought it more to the public's attention. Vick, the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback, is serving a federal prison term after being convicted of operating a dogfighting ring in Virginia.
The Humane Society of the United States calls dogfighting "a highly organized underground movement, often involving other crimes such as drug and weapons trafficking, prostitution and money laundering."
The pit bulls seized on Tucker Street were found after a drug task force with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office served a warrant on Tharvellus Walker on March 27, reports show. Task force investigators found the dogs in the backyard and called Daytona Beach police.
A handful of animal advocates filed into Foxman's courtroom to ensure the pit bulls were not returned to the defendants.
"We were here to make sure this didn't get shoved under the rug," said Cheryl Robel, of Concerned Citizens for Animal Welfare.
The video, taken by animal control officers Greg Anest and Steve Bostick, showed at least 11 dogs kept in wooden crates with only one or two ventilation holes; 16 dogs tied to stakes with 20- and 25-pound chains commonly used in the logging industry; and five puppies with bloated stomachs caused by worms rolling around in their own feces and urine. At least three of the dogs had grapefruit-size cysts hanging from their bodies that made it hard for them to sit or lie down.
One image, in particular, elicited moans from the public. It showed a thin, dark-colored pit bull that could hardly bear the weight of the massive chain attached to its collar. The animal struggled to stand up and a bloody gash kept its right eye half-shut.
"You are not fit to have further custody," Foxman said.
The dogs are being kept at Halifax Humane Society. Foxman said their fate will be left to officials there.
lyda.longa@news-jrnl.com
By LYDA LONGA
Staff Writer
DAYTONA BEACH -- In a hushed courtroom, a video showed the misery that 32 pit bulls suffered at a house on Tucker Street.
After a three-hour hearing to determine the fate of the dogs Wednesday, a Volusia County judge had seen and heard enough to convince him the animals should not be returned to the owners because he said they were neglected and used for dogfighting.
In addition, County Judge David Foxman ordered dog owners Tharvellus Walker, Wylene Walker and Theodore Lock to pay more than $11,000 to the Humane Society for the medical care and upkeep of the 31 remaining canines and four puppies that have since been born to one of the females. One dog had to be destroyed.
The trio, who face criminal charges including animal cruelty, dogfighting and confinement, also were prohibited from owning any dogs for at least a decade.
The Walkers, who are mother and son, denied involvement, while Lock told the judge he did his best caring for the pit bulls.
Daytona Beach Police Officer Liz Devlin said the seizure was "just a drop in the bucket" because dogfighting is "so prevalent in Daytona Beach."
Devlin, who is certified in animal cruelty and has been investigating animal abuse and dogfighting cases for most of her 14-year stint with Daytona Beach, said the Michael Vick case has brought it more to the public's attention. Vick, the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback, is serving a federal prison term after being convicted of operating a dogfighting ring in Virginia.
The Humane Society of the United States calls dogfighting "a highly organized underground movement, often involving other crimes such as drug and weapons trafficking, prostitution and money laundering."
The pit bulls seized on Tucker Street were found after a drug task force with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office served a warrant on Tharvellus Walker on March 27, reports show. Task force investigators found the dogs in the backyard and called Daytona Beach police.
A handful of animal advocates filed into Foxman's courtroom to ensure the pit bulls were not returned to the defendants.
"We were here to make sure this didn't get shoved under the rug," said Cheryl Robel, of Concerned Citizens for Animal Welfare.
The video, taken by animal control officers Greg Anest and Steve Bostick, showed at least 11 dogs kept in wooden crates with only one or two ventilation holes; 16 dogs tied to stakes with 20- and 25-pound chains commonly used in the logging industry; and five puppies with bloated stomachs caused by worms rolling around in their own feces and urine. At least three of the dogs had grapefruit-size cysts hanging from their bodies that made it hard for them to sit or lie down.
One image, in particular, elicited moans from the public. It showed a thin, dark-colored pit bull that could hardly bear the weight of the massive chain attached to its collar. The animal struggled to stand up and a bloody gash kept its right eye half-shut.
"You are not fit to have further custody," Foxman said.
The dogs are being kept at Halifax Humane Society. Foxman said their fate will be left to officials there.
lyda.longa@news-jrnl.com