Cruelty to 23 pit bull dogs Mableton, GA (US) Incident Date: Tuesday, Jan 4, 2000 County: Cobb Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Case Images: 3 files available Alleged: » Harry Shannon Butler » Kennedy Wayne Ogletree » Heijai Watkins

Case ID: 138 Classification: Neglect / Abandonment Animal: dog (pit-bull) View more cases in GA (US) Login to Watch this Case

Arrest warrants for Butler, Ogletree and Watkins have been issued and 23 counts of animal cruelty, a misdemeanor in Georgia have been filed.

The 23 emaciated pit bulls were found living in their own waste and half-starved. The dogs were chained to posts without food or water in the back yard of a house at 307 Hill Top Circle. Most of the dogs showed signs of physical abuse and suffering from apparent dog-fighting wounds and easily treatable diseases such as heartworm.

Cobb County Animal Control was familiar with the men after they were called to the home by neighbors at the beginning of December 1999. There was concern for the dogs then but there were a lot fewer dogs and none were apparently abused and the men promised to remove the dogs soon. On January 4th a surprise inspection of the home showed that things had grossly deteriorated since the original visit.

The 23 pit bulls, several of them puppies, were sheltered only by 55 gallon plastic drums turned on there sides. Several other puppies were stuffed in cages and all the animals were living in their own feces. Three of the dogs were pregnant.

If convicted, the highest penalty is only $1000. There is a bill now before the state legislature that would make extreme cases of cruelty a felony.

Investigators are not sure if the animals were being bred to fight or if the house was a puppy mill. Dr. Richard Best, who examined the animals, believes the cuts on their ears, heads and legs show they were being bred to fight. Besides the bite wounds they dogs had bacterial infections. Some had been so badly beaten that they cowered in the corner when humans approached them.

In March 1999 Butler was charged with several nuisance counts because of the barking dogs. He pleaded guilty and paid a fine.

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References

	APB News
	The Atlanta Journal - Constitution

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