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Case ID: 13018

Classification: Fighting

Animal: dog (pit-bull)

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Dog-fighting - 9 dogs seized
Flagler Estates, FL (US)

Incident Date: Thursday, Jan 24, 2008
County: Saint Johns

Disposition: Not Charged
Case Images: 3 files available

Person of Interest: Jamie Ravon Steward

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

St. Johns County Animal Control officers investigating a cruelty complaint in Flagler Estates early Thursday seized nine pit bull dogs apparently being trained for dogfighting.

All of the adult dogs had numerous scars and two were bleeding. Two other dogs were 6-week-old black-and-white puppies. A ninth pit bull, seized late Wednesday night, has already died from injuries that appear to be from dogfighting.

Paul Studivant, manager of the Animal Control department, said officers also collected a truckload of equipment for training fighting dogs. Confiscated were a treadmill, weights, chains, body harnesses, protective gloves and a well-chewed wooden "break stick," used to separate the jaws of dogs while they're fighting.

"We've seized enough stuff out of the house (on Cedar Ford Boulevard) to show that there's still dogfighting in St. Johns County," Studivant said.

The home is owned by a man in his 20s whose identity was not released. He was not arrested or charged.

However, felony dogfighting and animal cruelty charges against him are under review today by the State Attorney's Office.

The law says a person may be prosecuted for a separate felony charge for each piece of dogfighting equipment found in their possession, Studivant said.

Also found in the home were medications used in training fighting dogs, such as penicillin, multiple syringes, dusty wettable sulfur, hydrogen peroxide for wounds, horse and stable insecticide, vials of serum to fight distemper, hepatitis and pan-influenza in dogs, vitamin supplements, Electro Dex, a food additive for horses that was fed to these dogs, and a harness used to toughen up a dog's bite.

One dog seized was an emaciated female that was apparently used for breeding.

Also found, Studivant said, was a bolt cutter, which he said might have been used for stealing dogs to be used as practice bait for the fighting dogs. He said he found three collars that appeared to be from yard or hunting dogs; the tags had been torn off and the collars had no use in dogfighting training.

He believed those dogs had been used for fighting practice.

"We have no idea where these dogs are," he said. "But dogfight trainers (have been known to) tie up a (stolen dog's) mouth and let their dogs tear him apart. It's an ugly, painful death."

None of the seized dogs will be placed for adoption. County ordinance prohibits pit bulls from being adopted.

Studivant and officers Chris Williams and Don Daniels cleared the man's house, with two St. Johns County deputy sheriffs standing by.

Joel Bolante, operations chief for the Sheriff's Office, said deputies are always watching for cruelty and dogfighting cases.

"But dogfighting is one of those things that are difficult to investigate," Bolante said. "We heard of dogfighting rings here in past years."

He didn't want to speculate on why people organize dogfights when there are so many other ways to gamble.

"Some people just get a thrill out of seeing animals fighting. It's a shame, especially in light of the Michael Vick case."

Vick is the former quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons who was sentenced to federal prison for organizing a dogfighting ring on his property during the summer of 2007.

Studivant said the owner of the Flagler Estates property had given animal control officers permission to search the house. During that search, they found puppies in the garage and the treadmill in the man's bedroom.

Studivant shook his head while he surveyed the seized equipment laid out at the Animal Control Shelter.

"This shows what certain individuals are doing to this breed of dog," he said. "You really have to have no soul or conscience to do this."

Case Updates

References

• - Jan 25, 2008

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