Dog-fighting - 7 dogs seized
Danielsville, GA (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Jul 3, 2008
County: Madison
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Johnny Stewart Johnson, Jr.
Case Updates: 4 update(s) available
The Madison County Sheriff's Office, acting on intelligence provided by The Humane Society of the United States, raided "Shake Down Kennels," an alleged dogfighting operation in Danielsville, Ga. Johnny Johnson, the apparent owner of the operation, was arrested and charged with felony dogfighting. Authorities seized seven dogs along with suspected dogfighting paraphernalia.
"Today's raid is the first salvo in what we hope will be a long list of law enforcement actions that utilize Georgia's newly strengthened law to end the horrible spectacle of dogfighting in the state," said John Goodwin, manager of animal fighting issues for The HSUS. "The Madison County Sheriff's Office deserves great recognition for taking such quick action against a suspected dogfighting operation. The raid shows that once law enforcement is given the necessary tools, they are ready and able to bring animal fighters to justice."
Information regarding Shake Down Kennels was first provided to The HSUS via its tip line, 877-TIP-HSUS. The HSUS animal fighting tip line was established as a pro-bono venture by Atlanta-based security firm Norred & Associates in the wake of the Michael Vick case so that Georgia residents can easily report illegal animal fighting to authorities.
The HSUS offers up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in animal fighting. The HSUS' animal fighting reward program has been made possible thanks to a grant by the Holland M. Ware Charitable Foundation, which is also based in Atlanta.
Dr. Melinda Merck, forensic veterinarian and leader of American Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals' CSI Unit also assisted with the raid and evaluated the seized dogs for evidence of animal fighting.
"We will not tolerate those who promote and profit from illegal dogfighting in our county and we are grateful to both The HSUS and the ASPCA for their work on this case," said Madison County Sheriff Clayton Lowe. "Now that we have the law on our side, the time when law enforcement had to turn a blind eye to illegal dogfighting is over."
On May 16, Gov. Sonny Purdue signed legislation strengthening the state's dogfighting law. Today's raid in Madison County is the first reported law enforcement action under the new law, which makes it a felony to own, possess, train, transport or sell a dog for the purpose of dogfighting. Those involved in illegal dogfighting, as Johnson is alleged, can receive one to five years in prison, a minimum fine of $5,000 or both.
Case Updates| A Madison County grand jury indicted Johnny Stewart Johnson Jr., 29, of Danielsville, on one count of felony dogfighting. | Source: Online Athens - April 30, 2009
Update posted on Apr 30, 2009 - 11:54PM |
Madison County authorities again have seized a pitbull from a Danielsville man accused of dog fighting, overruling a citizen board's recent decision to return the dog to its owner until he goes to trial.
The county government confiscated seven dogs at Johnny Stewart Johnson's Shake Down Kennels on July 3, but the newly formed Madison County Animal Control Board voted in December to let Johnson have one of his dogs back.
The board's decision drew the ire of the Humane Society, which had investigated Johnson's operation for two months before the raid.
Last week, Johnson again was forced to give up the dog, which is considered evidence in the case, according to a Jan. 26 order signed by Madison County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Malcolm.
The black and white male dog is in the custody of the county's code enforcement department, according to the order.
In the future, the animal control board will make decisions about animals involved in noncriminal cases, while animals seized as evidence by sheriff's deputies or a state agency will be handled separately, according to the district attorney's office.
With the raid last summer, Johnson became the first person in Georgia charged with felony dog fighting under a new state law. | Source: OnlineAthens.Com - Feb 3, 2009
Update posted on Feb 3, 2009 - 11:02AM |
Madison County's Animal Control Board voted 3-2 last month to return temporary custody of a male pit bull dog to his owner, a man who was the first person in the state arrested under Georgia's new felony dogfighting law, which took effect July 1, 2008.
The animal control board released the dog to Johnny Stewart Johnson, 28, of Danielsville, per his request, until his court date, which is tentatively scheduled for next May. The custody of six other dogs seized at the time of his arrest were not under consideration.
In return, Johnson agreed to provide adequate care for the dog and to allow animal control officers to conduct regular visits to his home in order to ensure that adequate care is provided, according to the animal control board minutes.
The decision was made during an animal control hearing on Nov. 12, where members of the animal control board heard testimony from assistant district attorney Jimmy Webb, animal control officer Andy McLendon and Johnson.
"The purpose of the hearing was not to determine innocence or guilt related to dog fighting but whether it was in the dog's best interest to be held by the state, or returned to the dog owner while the trial was pending," hearing minutes stated.
The board heard information from Webb regarding the dogfighting arrest; from McLendon, who spoke of his experience with dogs and answered questions from the board; and from Johnson, who maintained that the dog in question, as well as the other dogs, were kept for personal enjoyment and not for fighting.
"A question of whether the animal should be neutered prior to release to the owner was discussed, however the motion/second was unaltered and a vote followed," according to hearing minutes.
Board members Barbara Freeman, Decator Dunugan and Nina Grass voted to return the dog to Johnson under monitored foster care until his trial. Chairman Greg Bleakley and board secretary Phil Munro voted "no."
CASE HISTORY
The Madison County Sheriff's Office, acting on intelligence provided to them by the Humane Society of the United States, arrested Johnson at his Hwy. 98 home on July 3, charging him with eight felony counts of dogfighting, one for each of the dogs seized during the raid and one for the seizure of alleged dog fighting paraphernalia. He was released on a $26,450 bond the following day.
Johnson was reportedly the owner of "Shakedown Kennels."
At the time of his arrest, law enforcement officers, Humane Society officials and a forensic veterinarian from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) reportedly found barrels scattered around Johnson's backyard, logging chains attached to stakes in the ground near each barrel, along with other evidence. Each dog was attached to a chain by a heavy collar.
The sheriff's office said in a press release at the time that information regarding Shake Down Kennels was first provided to the HSUS via their tip line earlier in the year. An investigation was launched at that time, but authorities waited to make an arrest until after the new law took effect July 1.
The animal fighting tip line was established as a pro-bono venture by the Atlanta-based security firm, Norred and Associates, in the wake of the Michael Vick case so that Georgia residents can easily report illegal animal fighting to authorities, officials said. The HSUS offers up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in animal fighting.
The new law makes it a felony to own, possess, train, transport or sell a dog for the purpose of dogfighting.
If convicted, Johnson could serve up to five years in prison, a minimum fine of $5,000, or both, according to the sheriff's office. | Source: Madison Journal Today - Dec 25, 2008
Update posted on Jan 26, 2009 - 1:47PM |
A Danielsville man authorities say is the first person to face charges under the state's stricter new dogfighting law bonded out of jail Saturday, according to Madison County Sheriff Clayton Lowe.
Johnny Stewart Johnson Jr., 28, was released on $28,400 bond two days after being arrested at his Shake Down Kennels on Georgia Highway 98, northwest of Danielsville, Lowe said.
Johnson is charged with eight counts of felony dogfighting, according to the sheriff's office.
Acting on information brought to them Monday by the Humane Society of the United States, sheriff's deputies searched the kennel Thursday along with investigators from the Humane Society and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
The sheriff's office wasn't aware of Johnson's kennels until Humane Society representatives presented the results of their two-month investigation into Johnson's alleged dogfighting operation, Lowe said.
"We didn't know the guy existed," he said. "You couldn't see (the kennels) from the road. They're tucked away in the woods behind the house."
Humane Society officials suspect Johnson was fighting his dogs - seven pitbulls were seized in the raid - in states as far away as Arizona, but not Georgia, Lowe said.
Under the state's new animal fighting law, authorities no longer have to catch dogfights in action to charge owners.
During their search of Johnson's kennel Thursday, investigators seized a conditioning treadmill and medical equipment they suspect was used to patch up dogs after fights, the sheriff said.
The kennel area was "neat and clean," and though some of the dogs were underweight, "they weren't starving by a longshot," Lowe said.
Johnson allegedly was making thousands of dollars on some fights, so he would have had a reason to keep the dogs in good condition, he added.
A forensic veterinarian was expected to examine the dogs, which showed signs of puncture wounds and other injuries, and determine how old their wounds are, Lowe said.
Authorities don't expect to charge anyone else in Madison County, the sheriff said.
Humane Society officials said they began their investigation following a tip given through the organization's dogfighting tip line. | Source: Athens Banner-Herald - July 6, 2008
Update posted on Jul 7, 2008 - 7:22PM |
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