Pet-Abuse.Com - Animal Abuse Case Details: Dog-fighting - 17 dogs seized

Dog-fighting - 17 dogs seized
Ypsilanti, MI (US)

Incident Date: Friday, Jun 15, 2007
County: Washtenaw
Local Map: available
Disposition: Alleged
Charges: Misdemeanor, Felony CTA

Alleged: Ricky Lee Lynch

Upcoming Court Dates:
» Thursday, Oct 25, 2007: pre-trial conference

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Case ID: 11649

Classification: Fighting

Animal: dog (pit-bull)

View more cases in MI (US)

Seventeen pit bulls police say were used in a dogfighting operation out of Washtenaw County were put down after a Humane Society declared them a public danger, officials said.

"They were all trained to fight and bred to fight," Tanya Hildgendorf, executive director of the Humane Society of Huron Valley in Ann Arbor, said Thursday. "They were not deemed safe animals to be adopted. They were all a danger to society."

The humane society euthanized the dogs on June 20, five days after they were seized in a raid of a 26-year-old Ypsilanti Township man's home, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Ricky L. Lynch is charged with five counts of animal fighting, a felony count of possessing animal-fighting equipment, and a misdemeanor charge of performing animal medical treatment without a veterinary license.

Lynch's lawyer, Arthur Brand of Lincoln Park, said his client plans to fight the charges.

"He doesn't fight dogs and he doesn't train dogs for fighting," Brand said.

Case Updates

Bloodied pit bull puppies in wire cages, chained-up adult pit bulls, steroids, antibiotics and a videotape where an owner boasts about the fighting ability of his dog. These were all items an animal cruelty investigator testified she found at the Ypsilanti Township home of a man now facing five felony dog-fighting charges.

Julie Curtis, investigator for the Humane Society of Huron Valley, testified Thursday during a preliminary exam against Ricky Lee Lynch, 26, in 41-A District Court in Ann Arbor. Curtis said she searched Lynch's home June 15 after receiving tips about possible dog fighting.

After listening to testimony, Judge Cedric Simpson added three dog-fighting charges, and sent the case for trial in Washtenaw County Circuit Court.

Along with county investigators, Curtis said, she seized 17 pit bulls -- nine puppies and eight adults -- from a fenced-in area in Lynch's backyard. The dogs had scarring on their legs, necks and faces, she said. Curtis said she seized eight videos and photographs of pit bulls nose-to-nose in fighting poses while being held back by adults.

She described a videotape in which Lynch bragged about a dog he called Tonka.

"Tonka's a good dog, fights hard, breaks legs, killed a dog in 9 minutes," Curtis said, recalling Lynch's narration.

Cross-examined by Lynch's attorney, Arthur Brand, Curtis acknowledged she did not find any videos or pictures of actual dog fighting.

Source: Detroit Free Press - July 27, 2007
Update posted on Jul 27, 2007 - 4:20AM

Back to Top

Neighborhood Map

For more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.

Add this case to:

Del.icio.us

Digg

Furl

References

Mlive - June 22, 2007

« MI State Animal Cruelty Map

Not sure what these icons mean? Click here.

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.

Site Map ¤ Disclaimer ¤ Privacy Policy

Dog-fighting - 17 dogs seizedYpsilanti, MI (US)

Case Updates

Neighborhood Map

References

Dog-fighting - 17 dogs seized
Ypsilanti, MI (US)