Case Details
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Case ID: 15426
Classification: Fighting
Animal: dog (pit-bull)
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Dog found dead, dog-fighting suspected
Kansas City, MO (US)

Incident Date: Thursday, Apr 16, 2009
County: Jackson

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Lawrence Duren

The Kansas City Animal Control Department said it is investigating after a pet advocate found a decomposing pit bull Thursday in the backyard of a Missouri home.

"I got a call last night about a horrible smell over there so we came over and there's a dead dog in the dog run behind the house," said Kate Quigley with Pet Outreach.

Quigley said she knows the red house at East 29th and Garfield streets in Kansas City all to well. In February, she said she saw a badly injured pit bull in the back yard and bought it from a man there for $50.

Quigley said she took the dog to an animal hospital for treatment but it died from its injuries.

"The injuries to the dog I bought were consistent with dog fighting, according to the emergency veterinarian," said Quigley.

Since that time, Quigley said she has paid frequent visits to the house, on the lookout for other abused dogs.

She took pictures of the decomposing dog she found Thursday night.

"It's been a continuous problem. We've learned they've removed 18 animals since 2003 so we have to ask, 'Why is that allowed to go on?'" said Quigley.

KCTV5's Matt Stewart said he did some research on the property and discovered that Animal Control has been called out to the house at least six times in the last six years.

In records dating back to July 2003, an incident report noted: "These pit bulls ... were removed from the premises because of fighting," and a "'K-9 was 90 percent covered in motor oil. K-9 was put down."

Stewart said a municipal court judge dropped the charges in that incident, but officials with the court wouldn't say why since the record is now closed.

The owner of the house, Lawrence Duren, faces nine counts of breaking the animal ordinance, but has yet to be judged, said Stewart.

"It's just going on and on and on because these guys have no fear since they know nothing's going to happen to them," said Quigley.

Animal Control officials told Stewart that they are constantly monitoring the house and said they have trouble issuing tickets because the residents there continually claim the injured dogs aren't theirs.

KCTV5 went to the house to get a comment on the allegations. But Stewart said the man who answered slammed the door on him.

"We just don't seem to get anywhere but we have another pit bull dead," said Quigley.

"In the alley behind the house, I did see a severed dog paw and dog hair stuck to the cement," said Stewart.

Animal Control officials said they hope a municipal court judge will prohibit the owner of the house from ever owning another dog again when he goes to court in June.

References

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