Case Details

Bait dog found abandoned, injured
Mount Vernon, NY (US)

Incident Date: Tuesday, Jul 31, 2007
County: Westchester
Local Map: available
Disposition: Open
Case Images: 2 files available

Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Case ID: 11954
Classification: Fighting, Neglect / Abandonment
Animal: dog (pit-bull)
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Floyd, a gentle older pit bull who is blind in one eye, sat next to Mayor Ernest Davis at City Hall yesterday as the star of his own news conference.

The dog was found Tuesday critically injured and abandoned in the middle of a Mount Vernon street. And though he couldn't speak for himself, his supporters said it all for him.

"If you are that inhumane to a dog, you will be that inhumane to a child, a person, an adult," said Paula Young, director of the Mount Vernon Animal Shelter. "It's like taking your grandmother and throwing her out in the middle of a war."

Davis, who is running for re-election this year, described Floyd as a victim of "the horrible culture of dog fighting," which he warned is spreading thanks to celebrities such as Michael Vick, the Atlanta Falcons quarterback recently indicted on federal dog-fighting charges. Vick pleaded not guilty.

The mayor is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest of those who caused Floyd's vicious wounds. Tips can be called in to 914-941-7797.

Heidi Steinman and Carlos Vernia found the dog on a side street off Columbus Avenue. Steinman said she saw the dog about 5:30 p.m., lying with a cup of water next to him. Vernia, who owns a business near where Floyd was found, also is offering a reward for leads in the case.

Sean Dabise of the Mount Vernon Animal Shelter carefully held the dog throughout the news conference. Dabise was the first official to respond to the scene. He said Floyd was paralyzed when he first got to the dog. After he rolled the dog up in a blanket, he said, Floyd "gave him a little look" that told him the animal had the will to live.

Floyd's namesake is heavyweight boxing champion Floyd Patterson, but the dog did not receive his wounds from fighting, officials said. The dog was what Ken Ross, chief of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' humane law enforcement division, calls a "big dog," one used as bait to train the "money dogs" to fight.

Young said this is not her first encounter with a dog injured in this way. Five to six injured dogs come in a month, she said, some with red or silver tape on their tails identifying them as targets in the training of other fighting dogs.

Ross said the SPCA has found "discarded bodies, chewed-up bodies" on the street. Organized fights, or "scratch matches," can offer bets of $5,000 to $15,000, discounting side bets, he said. "Pickup fights" -unorganized matches - are on the rise on the street, he said.

Davis said that kittens recently were stolen from an animal shelter and that the thieves might intend to use them in place of dogs as bait.

Case Updates

It seems Floyd, a gentle older pit bull, has captured the hearts of Westchester residents. After the dog was found last week critically injured and abandoned from what officials believe was the result of dog fighting, residents began calling with donations that have brought the total reward for information on the case to $5,000.

Last week, Mayor Ernest Davis, with Floyd by his side, offered $500 for information leading to the arrest of anyone forcing dogs to fight, including Floyd. Other donations totaling $2,500 came in that day from the one of those who had found Floyd, a businessman and a city hall employee.

The dog, which is blind in one eye, was found bruised and next to a cup of water at Anderson Avenue and Fulton Lane, two small streets off South Columbus Avenue.

"It is going to take some courage to come forward," said Paula Young, the director of the Mount Vernon Animal Shelter. "But the fact that this goes on tells us a lot about our society. People really need to grow a conscience."

The fighting of animals is a felony that is punishable by more than a year in prison and a fine of up to $25,000.

The dog has been named after Floyd Patterson, the heavyweight boxing champion of the '50s and '60s. But Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals officials say Floyd likely was used to train other dogs to fight -or basically used as bait.

Floyd suffered more than 30 gashes, tears and puncture bites, but Young said the dog's condition was improving.
Source: NY Journal News - Aug 7, 2007
Update posted on Aug 9, 2007 - 3:25PM 

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References

LoHud.Com - Aug 4, 2007

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