Dog-fighting suspected - 45 dogs seized
Houston, TX (US)Incident Date: Monday, Jun 11, 2007
County: Harris
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Marcus Bradley
The Houston Humane Society and Precinct 6's R.A.I.D.E.R. Animal Cruelty Investigation team was brought in by the Houston Police Department to seize over 40 pit bull dogs from a property in northwest Houston. Neighbors originally called the HPD about a pit bull terrorizing the neighborhood, and officers discovered the property full of dogs upon investigation.
The dogs were staked on chains so heavy that two police vehicles had to be tied together to pull them out of the ground. Also found on the property was a spring pole, used for strengthening the jaws of fighting dogs. Many of the dogs on the property were covered in scars indicative of fighting, and some were also branded with the owner's initial. Some of the dogs appeared malnourished and had signs of illness, in addition to their injuries.
The 37 dogs and 8 puppies were transported to the Houston Humane Society, where they will remain until the court date. ADA Belinda Smith visited the property to view evidence, and will make a determination if criminal charges can be filed in this case, based on the evidence. Timothy Harkness, chief veterinarian of the Houston Humane Society, may be called upon to testify whether the dog's scars are consistent with fighting.
The owner, Marcus Bradley, who doesn't live on the north side property where the dogs were found, was present when the Humane Society took control of the animals.
Bradley said the pit bulls were his pets. He denied using them for fighting at the compound in the 1000 block of St. Clair, next to his mother's home.
"No one person can maintain this many dogs - they were all infested with fleas, dehydrated ...," said Harris County Precinct 6 Lt. Mark Timmers. "These are not pets. There is little doubt that these dogs ... were raised to fight."
"The dogs have scars indicative of fighting - scars on their muzzles, across the bridges of their noses, and the front of their legs. Some of the dogs have been branded with the letter 'M'," said Houston Humane Society spokeswoman Courtney Clark.
The dogs were "not on the brink of starvation, but underfed," Clark said.
"It's a very sad scene. These are not pets," Clark said. "There's no one who spends their time with these animals, no one who interacts with them."
The dogs were taken under an emergency civil order.
"It's illegal to own or train an animal for the purposes of fighting and is illegal to have more than three dogs at a premise without a license within the city of Houston," Clark said.
Bradley received nearly 100 misdemeanor citations ranging from $250 to $2,500, authorities said. References« TX State Animal Cruelty Map
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