Dog-fighting
Youngstown, OH (US)Incident Date: Friday, Mar 21, 2008
County: Mahoning
Disposition: Not Charged
Abuser names unreleased
Dave Nelson is no stranger to 3843 Hudson Ave. The Mahoning County Dog Warden employee said he has taken pit bulls from the house twice in the past year.
He took another pit bull from the home Friday and said there is evidence that several more were housed there when they were not fighting.
Nelson said he drove by about noon Friday and saw two men, one of them holding what looked to be a shotgun. He circled the block and called city police for help. When he went back with police, the men were gone, but one dog was inside the dilapidated home.
In the attic, Nelson said he found several leashes and collars and partitions that he said could hold 15 to 18 dogs. He said there was no other use for the partitions and other items except for dog fighting.
It is common to store the dogs in one place, he said. He noted that the partitions were not in the home the last time he was there.
There was no dog food inside, but there were two full five-gallon cans of gasoline and torn furniture. There were clumps of dog feces on the floor, as well as broken dishes. The sink was clogged with dirty dishes and in the attic with the partitions were broken bowls, stereo speakers and air mattresses.
Nelson said he wants the home demolished, and a housing inspector who was called to the home condemned it. There was running water to the home but the basement also was filled with water, he said. There was electricity but no heat to the house, Nelson said.
It is hard to catch those harboring fighting dogs by surprise because often they have police scanners and know when officers are on the way, Nelson said.
''This just happened to be a fluke thing this morning,'' he said.
Nelson said it is important with warmer weather on the horizon to start putting a dent in the large number of unattended vicious dogs in the city. He said he also wants to send the message that dog fighting will not be taken lightly.
''What you want to try to do is to nip it quickly,'' Nelson said. ''We will not tolerate it.'' References« OH State Animal Cruelty Map
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