Dog-fighting - 20 dogs, suspect wanted for murder
Philadelphia, PA (US)Incident Date: Saturday, Apr 19, 2008
County: Philadelphia
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 3 files available
Alleged: Terrence Hayward
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
More than a dozen dogs, allegedly bred for fighting, were taken from a West Kensington home this afternoon.
SPCA officials were called to the 3300 block of H Street just before 2:00. They found 20 pit bulls and one cat, housed in kennels in the backyard. The animals were scarred, some had opened wounds.
Drugs, ammunition and large amounts of cash were also found inside the house.
Officers say the homeowner, Terrence Hayward, is wanted for murder. He and his wife are also facing animal cruelty charges.
A patrol cop who made a routine stop in the neighborhood heard barking coming from 3320 H Street. When he investigated, he saw the cages and called the SPCA.
Case UpdatesAnimal Control officers removed pit bull after pit bull during a Saturday afternoon raid of a Kensington home.
Investigators charged the dogs' owner Terrance Hayword with animal cruelty and dogfighting.
In all, he kept nearly 20 pit bulls in cages on the property. Some of the dogs looked emaciated and scarred.
"[The officer] heard dogs barking upon his investigation. He heard dogs barking in the rear of this property. He observed numerous crates filled with pit bull dogs," says George Bengal of the Pennsylvania SPCA.
Hayword reportedly has a history of animal cruelty.
In October, the SPCA busted up a dogfighting operation in a warehouse on Adams Avenue.
Animal Control officers found a bloody dogfighting ring and contraption to force the breeding of female dogs.
"This is where the female dogs are put on by their neck and by their waist to hold them down while the forced mating is being done," according to an animal control officer.
The SPCA removed a number of pit bulls most with battle scars.
"We found staple guns that they used on a few of the dogs to staple the cuts on them. One of them had staples all along the spine," the animal control officer continued.
Since the arrest of Atlanta Falcons football star Michael Vick for dogfighting, the SPCA says tips about similar activity in the Philadelphia area have increased.
The more raids they hope will ultimately put a stop to it.
"Now people are more up tuned to what's going on. They're looking for it, they're calling us. They're responding to anything that they see that's not right," said the officer. | Source: myfoxphilly.com - Apr 25, 2008
Update posted on Apr 30, 2008 - 12:29PM |
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