Man Accused Of Feeding Cats To Pit Bulls

Warning: This story may disturb some readers.

A Georgia man has been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals for capturing neighborhood kittens and cats and feeding them to his pit bulls.

The warrant charges that Tye Hilmo “did give injured live cats and kittens to his pit bull dogs and let the pit bulls kill the already injured cats and kittens. Hilmo would capture and injure neighborhood cats for this purpose.”

Authorities acted after receiving an anonymous tip that Hilmo had been capturing cats for his dogs to kill. The tipster also said Hilmo was preparing his pit bulls for dog fighting. Investigators said they do not have enough evidence to charge Hilmo with dog fighting.

Investigators found the bodies of two kittens near Hilmo’s house. They also found evidence on his cell phone: a picture of one of his pit bulls and a dead kitten, and beneath the picture, a caption that says “Good Dog.”

Aggravated cruelty to animals is a felony, and if convicted, Hilmo can face one to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.

Hilmo was already in jail on drug, firearm and probation violation charges.


Source:
www.postchronicle.com

DMX Sentenced for animal cruelty and other charges.

Rapper DMX was sentenced to 90 days in jail Friday for convictions on theft, drug-possession and animal-cruelty charges. DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, also was placed on at least 18 months' supervised probation by Maricopa County Superior Court Commissioner Phemonia Miller.

Simmons pleaded guilty Dec. 30 to three felony counts — theft, possession or use of marijuana, and possession or use of narcotic drugs — and one misdemeanor count of animal cruelty.

Read more... 

11 dogfighting cases going to court

Pit bull neglect - 12 seized from rapper DMX 
Cave Creek, AZ (US)


Dog-fighting - 5 dogs seized
Steele, MO (US)



Dog-fighting - 4 dogs, guns, drugs, cash seized
Philadelphia, PA (US)



Dogfighting - 150 dogs seized
Tucson, AZ (US)



Dog-fighting - 12 dogs seized
Robbins, IL (US)



Dog-fighting
Dayton, OH (US)



Dog-fighting - 3 dogs seized
Enfield, NC (US)



Dog-fighting - 80 dogs seized, a dozen dead
Mayfield, KY (US)



Dog-fighting - 21 dogs seized
Lynwood, IL (US)



Dog-fighting - 37 dogs seized
South Holland, IL (US)



Dog-fighting - 2 dogs, guns seized
Chicago, IL (US)

Dog returned to dog fighting suspect, per his request!

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office, acting on intelligence provided to them by the Humane Society of the United States, arrested Johnson at his Hwy. 98 home on July 3, charging him with eight felony counts of dogfighting, one for each of the dogs seized during the raid and one for the seizure of alleged dog fighting paraphernalia. He was released on a $26,450 bond the following day.

Johnson was reportedly the owner of “Shakedown Kennels .”

At the time of his arrest, law enforcement officers, Humane Society officials and a forensic veterinarian from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) reportedly found barrels scattered around Johnson’s backyard, logging chains attached to stakes in the ground near each barrel, along with other evidence. Each dog was attached to a chain by a heavy collar.

The sheriff’s office said in a press release at the time that information regarding Shake Down Kennels was first provided to the HSUS via their tip line earlier in the year. An investigation was launched at that time, but authorities waited to make an arrest until after the new law took effect July 1.

The animal fighting tip line was established as a pro-bono venture by the Atlanta-based security firm, Norred and Associates, in the wake of the Michael Vick case so that Georgia residents can easily report illegal animal fighting to authorities, officials said. The HSUS offers up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in animal fighting.

The new law makes it a felony to own, possess, train, transport or sell a dog for the purpose of dogfighting.

If convicted, Johnson could serve up to five years in prison, a minimum fine of $5,000, or both, according to the sheriff’s office.

Madison County’s Animal Control Board voted 3-2 last month to return temporary custody of a male pit bull dog to his owner, a man who was the first person in the state arrested under Georgia’s new felony dogfighting law, which took effect July 1, 2008.

The animal control board released the dog to Johnny Stewart Johnson, 28, of Danielsville, per his request, until his court date, which is tentatively scheduled for next May. The custody of six other dogs seized at the time of his arrest were not under consideration.

In return, Johnson agreed to provide adequate care for the dog and to allow animal control officers to conduct regular visits to his home in order to ensure that adequate care is provided, according to the animal control board minutes.

The decision was made during an animal control hearing on Nov. 12, where members of the animal control board heard testimony from assistant district attorney Jimmy Webb, animal control officer Andy McLendon and Johnson.

“The purpose of the hearing was not to determine innocence or guilt related to dog fighting but whether it was in the dog’s best interest to be held by the state, or returned to the dog owner while the trial was pending,” hearing minutes stated.

The board heard information from Webb regarding the dogfighting arrest; from McLendon, who spoke of his experience with dogs and answered questions from the board; and from Johnson, who maintained that the dog in question, as well as the other dogs, were kept for personal enjoyment and not for fighting.

“A question of whether the animal should be neutered prior to release to the owner was discussed, however the motion/second was unaltered and a vote followed,” according to hearing minutes.

Board members Barbara Freeman, Decator Dunugan and Nina Grass voted to return the dog to Johnson under monitored foster care until his trial. Chairman Greg Bleakley and board secretary Phil Munro voted “no.”

Shakedown Kennels

Arraignment of alleged dog fighting participants in Houston Jan 8

The arraignment of Ellis Wayne Island, Jr, an alleged participant in the recently busted dog fighting ring in Houston, is Thursday, January 8.  


Ellis Wayne Island Jr., told the Houston Chronicle after his hearing that he did not have a leadership role in dogfighting. He would not say, however, whether he ever attended dogfights or participated in them.

"I'm no ringleader. I'm no kingpin," Island, 45, said after a brief hearing in the court of state District Judge George Godwin.

Island's initial court appearance was reset to Jan. 8 because he has not yet hired an attorney to represent him against three counts of dogfighting.



For background on this case, visit my post from November.


For more information on this case, please visit pet-abuse.com. 

Rapper DMX convicted of animal cruelty-possibly related to dogfighting.

After receiving an anonymous tip about inhumane conditions for dogs on his property, detectives visited the home of rapper, DMX, and then called one of the rapper's lawyers and told him that the conditions for the animals at the property needed to be improved or deputies would take action. The dogs were not being fed or given water.

Authorities returned to the home days later.

The 36-year-old musician and actor, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was not at home during the raid.

Simmons' lawyer, Murray Richman, said Simmons hasn't been in Arizona for at least two months and was "extremely disturbed" to hear the animals weren't being cared for properly.

"We had a caretaker that wasn't taking care, that's what happened," Richman said. "He loves dogs _ he loves these animals. Those dogs are practically his family."

Richman said he hadn't been notified of problems at the property until he learned of the raid Friday. Sheriff's officials said they had contacted another lawyer who works for DMX.

Arpaio said the deputies who served a search warrant at the home Friday seized 12 pit bulls tied up on the property and took them to an old jail that has been converted into an animal shelter.

Deputies found the buried dogs when they dug up the back yard. One had apparently been burned and the cause of death on the others was unknown because the bodies were decomposing.

Deputies also found a variety of firearms, Arpaio said. Authorities sought additional warrants so they could check the guns to determine if they were legal.


Simmons, 37, was arrested in Miami in August after not reporting to multiple court hearings.  He was extradited to Maricopa County in September and was released on Sept. 13 on a $25,000 bond, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.


DMX has reached a plea deal on multiple drug possession, theft and animal cruelty charges.

A Maricopa County Superior Court commissioner has set a sentencing hearing for Jan. 30.

As part of the plea agreement, DMX cannot possess firearms or own any animals, and must attend an animal-offender treatment program. If he violates probation, he could be sentenced to more than 10 years in prison.



For more information on this case, please visit pet-abuse.com 

Huge dogfighting ring busted in Houston!

In three counties near Houston, Texas some people are now facing felonies due to their involvement in a dog fighting bust. Eight suspects have been arrested and 43 others have been indicted. As many as 100 people attended the fights, some betting as much as $1000.

Acting on an outside tip from a man in another state, undercover investigators attended these fights over a 17 month period. Investigators have seized 187 dogs who await their fate with death. Pit Bulls are killed all the time and especially fighting pit bulls. These dogs are victims. They are taught right and wrong from unethical people. They can be trained to be good dogs again. Read an update on the Vick dogs.

In Texas, anyone who owns or trains a dog with the intent that the dog be used in dog fighting; or attends as a spectator an exhibition of dog fighting-has committed a felony.

Drugs, weapons and stolen property were also found.

Sources: www.chron.com, www.hcnonline.com, www.animallaw.info

Michael Vick in the news again

Premiering on Animal Planet, Sunday, August 24.

Animal Witness
The Michael Vick Case
TV-14 (V), CC
For the first time, we go inside the dogfighting investigation that helped bring down star quarterback Michael Vick and expose the brutal sport that matches Pit Bull terriers in a bloody fight to the death.

Click here to be directed to the Animal Planet TV Schedule

Missouri, Say Yes to Senate Crackdown on Dog Fighting

Missouri, Say Yes to Senate Crackdown on Dog Fighting

SB 819—Increases Penalties for Dog Fighting
Sponsor(s): Senator Scott Rupp
ASPCA Position: Support
Action Needed: Call your Missouri state senator TODAY to urge support for this bill.

SB 819 would give the Show Me State stiffer laws against dog fighting. The bill would add dog fighting to the list of offenses that are subject to the Criminal Activity Forfeiture Act. It would increase the penalty for being a spectator at a dog fighting event, and allow law enforcement officers making a lawful seizure to take possession of dogs and property used in the violation.

The bill has passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee and has been placed on the Senate calendar. Although there is strong bipartisan support for this bill in both chambers of the Missouri General Assembly, a group called the Missouri Federation of Animal Owners has been actively working to defeat the bill.

Time is running out to pass this important piece of animal welfare legislation. Please call your state senator as soon as you can to urge support for SB 819. You can look up your senator’s phone number here (make sure you call your state senator in the Missouri General Assembly, not your federal senator in the U.S. Congress). When you call, please remember to thank your legislator for taking your views into consideration.

In addition, please take a moment to add your comments to the following letter of support and submit it to your state senator. It is very important that you personalize the letter so it will stand out.

(Sponsor) Senator Scott Rupp
State Capitol Building
Room 426
Jefferson City, Missouri 65101
(573) 751-1282
FAX: (573) 526-4766

Click here to be taken to the ASPCA site to send your email.

Michael Vick...and my reasons for that post.

Update:
I have had many people email me about my reaction to this, saying they are surprised that I would be against this. I am NEVER against promoting awareness of animal abuse. I am also NEVER against donating to animal shelters. What I am against is using Michael Vick's name to do it. I think they are making a joke of it in a way because they are all dressing up in prison clothes. I think it is inappropriate to do that and to use Michael Vick's name. I did read the entire article and I still stand by my previous opinion.

Would people be "welcoming" a child molester to the "neighborhood" if he were sent to the Leavenworth Penitentiary to speak out against child rape?

I think Michael Vick's name should be left out of it as well as the prison clothes. I think it is distasteful. I don't think they should be focusing on Michael Vick going to prison as it clouds the real issue. I understand that they are trying to tie the two together-participate in dog fighting...go to prison. They should educate the public about what dog fighting is and focus on the inhumane treatment of the dogs. They are completely skipping over that by using Michael Vick's name and a "welcome to the neighborhood" theme. It is just sick and twisted in my opinion.

I have not and am not saying I disagree with creating awareness of animal abuse and donating to shelters. I don't know why anyone would even think I was against that.

What I disagree with is the use of Michael Vick's name and the prison clothing. If they wanted to use his "celebrity" to get attention they should have said it was for the dogs that he KILLED and MAIMED--not to "welcome" him to the neighborhood.

T-Bones, Kansas City Minor League Team to host "prison themed", MICHAEL VICK night!

<----Remember, this is what the "guest", Michael Vick did!!!

In an effort to raise awareness about animal abuse and pet adoption the Kansas City T-Bones have partnered with several animal safe havens to help put a stop to animal abuse on Michael Vick “Welcome to the Neighborhood” (Vick is in the United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas ) night at CommunityAmerica Ballpark Wednesday, May 28. The promotion headlines the 2008 T-Bones promotional lineup that fans have come to expect at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

This is a disgrace! This is an insult to the dogs that died and the ones still alive. This is a slap in the face to our fight against dog fighting and animal abuse. Michael Vick is someone who deserves to be in jail...not to be the "guest" for speaking out against animal abuse and dog fighting. He has been convicted of both. Please write the T-Bones and let them know your feelings on this. They are "welcoming" him to our area because he is in PRISON!?

During the game both teams will be dressed the part, the T-Bones will be wearing black and white striped jerseys while the visiting Gary SouthShore RailCats will wear bright orange jumpsuit replica jerseys. The jerseys will be auctioned off following the game with the proceeds benefiting the participating pet organizations. The park will be appropriately decorated for the prison themed night.

They are completely making a joke out of the fact that he is in PRISON for what he has done. This is completely inappropriate!


Here is the link.

Wyoming makes 50! All 50 states have felony dog fighting laws!

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is pleased to announce that dog fighting is now a felony everywhere in the United States. Last week, Wyoming made dog fighting a felony, the 50th state in the country to do so.
More...

Vet thinks yellow lab was used as bait dog-mouth tied shut--found severely wounded-Please donate if you can!

This story is from a group I am in:

I just stopped by the Cherokee County Animal Shelter with Mary Carpenter
from Saving Gaffney Pets and there was a yellow lab there that had been
hit by a car or shot or beaten. She had a wound in her chest and a wound
in her backend and she was bleeding profusely... Out of her nose and
mouth and both wounds. Her paws were covered in blood. It was TERRIBLE.

She was attacked by another dog and it looks like
she just rolled over on her back and let the other dog maul her. She is
covered in wounds over her body... The weird thing is that she has
bruises on her face, so the vet said she might have been used as a bait
dog and they tied her mouth shut. It's sick, really. I haven't gotten a
final total on her care yet, but right now it is at upwards of $500.

She needs all the help she can get. I talked with the vet today and she
has three broken bones as well.

If anyone wants to donate, please call (864) 489-8446 (Piedmont Animal
Hospital) in the morning (03/03) and tell them it's for the Yellow Lab
Saving Gaffney Pets is bringing in.

This is the rescue that is currently paying for this poor dog's care:
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/SC251.html

Puppy Profits dot com-Pro Dog Fighting Site!!

I was sent a link to the site, puppyprofits.com from an ASPCA group I belong to. This is sickening! This is portraying dog fighting as a positive activity!

Is there anything we can do about this site??

That's when I discovered canine sport fighting (sometimes called "dog fights") through a friend and went to my first event. I was awestruck! What an amazing show of animal athleticism!

I read some of the F.A.Q.s and I cannot even believe it! This guy is terrible!

***When I posted this, I was under the impression that this was real. After numerous comments stating that it was fake and a little checking on my own, I also believe it to be fake***

SB 819—Increases Penalties for Dog Fighting-Missouri

SB 819—Increases Penalties for Dog Fighting
Sponsor(s): Senator Scott Rupp
ASPCA Position: Support
Action Needed: Please email our letter to your state senator to express your support for this bill.

SB 819 would give the Show Me State stiffer laws against dog fighting.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Scott Rupp, would add dog fighting to the list of offenses that are subject to the Criminal Activity Forfeiture Act. It would increase the penalty for being a spectator at a dog fighting event, and allow law enforcement officers making a lawful seizure to take possession of dogs and property used in the violation. This bill is pending in the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee.

Please take a moment to add your comments to the following letter of support and submit it to your state senator. It is very important that you personalize the letter so it will stand out.

Saving Pit Bulls from HSUS, PETA, and Michael Vick

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and PETA wanted to add the ultimate insult (death) to a life of injury (dog-fighting) for the dog victims of Michael Vick. Despite the recommendations of HSUS and PETA that they be killed, prosecutors allowed the dogs to go to No Kill adoption groups all over the country. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. And these pictures say it all. Where are they now? Click here to view a photo montage. (There is nothing graphic here, the photographs are pure joy.)

Dogs are not the problem--HUMANS are!

I am very tired of hearing about "mean" or "vicious" dogs. I am not going to go into Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) too much but I want to talk about these terms in general.

If a puppy or dog is treated in a loving, humane way, we would not hear about dogs biting people or children nearly as much as we do now.

When I hear another city has passed some sort of BSL, I cringe. I know that many, many innocent, loving dogs may be euthanised simply because now, after the passing of an ordinance they are considered dangerous. When just yesterday, they were just another dog enjoying the sunshine in their own backyards. Now, they must be killed because they are vicious and dangerous to people.

Come on! Are humans really that stupid and ignorant?! This sounds like the Salem Witch trials in 1692! Have humans remained ignorant for over 400 years? Apparently, the answer is yes.

Humans are choosing to remain ignorant because then they don't have to look at how their OWN behavior causes the problems.

We need education and we need people to be responsible pet owners. We need people in the community to be humane and compassionate to any stray animals they see and teach their children to be kind.

I think it is incredibly sad that people are not interested in getting to the root of the problem and just take the first, quick answer that will "solve" the problem.

According to the ASPCA:

Any dog that is treated harshly, neglected or trained to attack, may bite a person. Any dog can be turned into a dangerous dog. The owner is most frequently responsible--not the breed, and not the dog.


If you have been a victim of BSL and would like to talk about it, please leave a comment or email me.

Read the ASPCA's position on BSL.

Pit bull found battered to death

By GLORIA CAMPISI
Philadelphia Daily News

campisg@phillynews.com 215-854-5935
The battered body of a dead pit bull, stoned with chunks of concrete and bricks, was found hanging from a railing at an abandoned school at 27th and Huntingdon streets Tuesday.

The dog, an adult male, had been bashed so severely a Pennsylvania SPCA investigator said there was no way to tell whether the animal had been killed for losing a dogfight, for being too timid to fight, or for someone's amusement.

"The dog was tied so closely and tightly to the railing that he had no chance to get away from his tormentors," said the Pennsylvania SPCA's chief executive officer, Howard Nelson.

The gruesome brutality of the stoning of the animal has prompted the SPCA to offer a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of its killers.

A day after the discovery of the dead dog, police officers found two pit bull puppies dumped, alive, in a duffle bag, at 23rd and Westmoreland streets.

The puppies are being evaluated by SPCA veterinarians.

Is it open season on pit bulls?It seems it always is, says an investigator. Dogfighting, mostly by kids, happens all the time, in all parts of the city, said SPCA police officer Wayne Smith.

While the extent of the cruelty involved in the death of the dog is appalling, the dumping of dead pit bulls is not uncommon, said Smith, who is investigating.

"We get that all the time," he said. "They throw them in a bag, or they're dumped somewhere. Most of the time, it's pit bulls."

Four dead pit bulls were found dumped in two locations in Fairmount Park in August and September.

The bodies of two more pit bulls were found later in September near Philadelphia International Airport.

Investigators believe that all of those dogs were killed either during or after dogfights and, in one case, two bullet casings were found near the dogs' bodies.

A $3,000 reward, including $2,500 pledged by the Humane Society of the United States, was offered in the earlier dog dumpings, but SPCA spokeswoman Heather Redfern said those cases have not yet been solved.

Redfern said anyone with information on any of the cases can provide it through the organization's Web site, PSPCA.org or by calling the shelter's main number, 215-426-6300, and asking to speak with an investigator.

Identities of the callers are kept confidential. *




Find this article at:
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20080111_Pit_bull_found_battered_to_death.html