ANIMAL PEOPLE is the leading independent newspaper providing original investigative coverage of animal protection worldwide. Founded in 1992, ANIMAL PEOPLE has no alignment or affiliation with any other entity.

 

This site built and maintained by: GREANVILLE ASSOCIATESand CRESCENT COMMUNICATIONS •Rev. 12.1.05 Copyright ANIMAL PEOPLE, INC. 1992--2006

 

 

 

 

 
   

 
powered by FreeFind

ESSENTIAL DESTINATIONS

MONTH: January/February 2007

2006 saw biggest fighting dog seizure ever

 

HOUSTON--Among the grimmest jobs in the 71 years that the Houston Humane Society has operated an animal shelter was euthanizing 258 pit bull terriers in August 2006, seized from the property of murder victim and fighting dog breeder Thomas F. Weigner, Jr.

Investigators impounded 285 pit bulls in all from the Liberty County site. Twenty-seven puppies were initially to have been auctioned, without being sterilized first, by order of Liberty County justice of the peace Phil Fitzgerald, but the Houston Humane Society pointed out that Texas state law requires impounded dogs to be sterilized prior to adoption or sale. Most of the pups were later found to be ill with either parvovirus or the tick-borne disease babeosis.

Another seven puppies were believed to have been stolen from the crime scene during the initial investigation.

"Big" impoundments of alleged fighting dogs used to involve a few dozen. Three raids in December 1992 made page one of the January/February 1993 edition of ANIMAL PEOPLE after impounding a combined and then almost unheard of total of 97 dogs among them.

The Weigner case did in fact bring the largest seizure of alleged fighting dogs on record. The previous high total in Texas was 88, in January 2005. The previous U.S. record was 225, in a 2004 Oklahoma case that brought nearly 20 convictions, including five years on probation for former National Football League player LeShon Johnson, who has now been convicted twice of offenses related to dogfighting.

"Weigner Jr., 27, bled to death after being shot in the leg by three masked intruders," recounted Cindy Horswell of the Houston Chronicle. "His wife Julie Laban, their three children, and her parents witnessed the shooting while bound with tape."

Liberty County Sheriff's Sergeant Kenny Daigle told Horswell that the intruders were apparently searching for $100,000 in cash that Weigner had recently won at a dogfight in Brazoria County.
"Neither Weigner nor his wife had a job, other than the dogs," Daigle said. "But they had paid $215,000 in cash for their home and property, and were making payments on three nice new cars," he told Horswell.

In addition to the dogs, several thousand dollars in loose cash, and alleged dogfighting paraphernalia, investigators reportedly discovered a pound of marijuana on the Weigner property.

At least 13 dogfighting rings were broken up in conjunction with arrests for alleged traffic in illegal drugs around the U.S. in 2006. All 13 involved possession of marijuana, 11 involved possession of methedrine, and six involved possession of cocaine. None involved possession of heroin, although one convicted dogfighter had previous convictions for possessing both heroin and marijuana.

Camille Gann, convicted of hosting dogfights to which LeShon Johnson brought dogs, in December 2005 drew seven years in prison plus eight years on probation. At the time, just a year ago, that was an unusually stiff sentence. Since then, association of dogfighting with drug crimes has combined with the introduction of "three strikes" laws that increase the penalties for multi-time offenders to markedly increase the sentences meted out to convicted dogfighters.

The longest sentence for dogfighting-related offenses, so far, may be 16 years, given to Christoper D. Simmons, 26, in March 2006 by Circuit Judge Lee S. Alford, of Dorchester County, South Carolina.
Alford is to serve five concurrent sentences on state charges after pleading guilty to four counts of selling crack cocaine and marijuana, including near a school, and to animal cruelty. The state sentences will also be concurrent with a 20-year sentence that Alford is serving for federal drug offenses.

"The cruelty charges surfaced when a deputy found five pit bulls chained behind Simmons' residence. A sixth dog was found dead," wrote Schuyler Kropf of the Charleston Post & Courier. "The animals had injuries consistent with dogfighting, authorities said."

Cedric Tory Smith, 25, of Wedgefield, South Carolina, in September 2006 drew 13 years in prison after pleading guilty to 18 counts of dogfighting, plus charges of trafficking cocaine, manufacturing crack cocaine, and marijuana possession, the state attorney general's office announced. Robert Lawrence Bostic, 23, of the same address, drew 10 years in prison on similar drug charges.

Traditionally the stiffer part of sentences for multiple convictions involving dogfighting and drug dealing or possession has been for the drug offenses. Judge Ben McLaughlin, of Dothan, Alabama, reversed tradition in November 2006, sending Timothy McLeod, of Ozark, Alabama, to prison for 11 years in November 2006 for possession of marijuana and another controlled substance, and criminally neglecting 14 pit bull terriers at an alleged dogfighting arena in his back yard.

McLaughlin stipulated that McLeod was getting one year for each of the drug crimes, and one year for each of the nine dogs who were euthanized in consequence of his actions.

"Eleven dogs were bound with thick logging chains to strengthen their chest muscles, and had little or no food or water in their bowls," summarized Ebony Horton of the Dothan Eagle. "Three dog corpses with chains still wrapped around their necks were found behind the arena. Nine dogs were later euthanized, mostly because of behavioral problems. Two younger, less aggressive dogs were placed in homes."

 

Reported seizures of fighting dogs and gamecocks

Year•Dogs•Cocks
1997•95•725
1998•365•763
1999•791•1023
2000•896•876
2001•869•7995
2002•428•3390
2003•549•4113
2004 (no data)
2005•837•2128
2006•916•2528