Dog-fighting - 12 dogs seized - Ruther Glen, VA

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

County: Caroline

Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 1 files available

Alleged:
» Darnell Lewis Garrison
» Donald T. Morris

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

A Caroline County man is facing allegations that he housed and trained dogs for a fighting ring.

Darnell Lewis Garrison of Ruther Glen is charged with one count of conspiracy to promote animal fighting, a class 6 felony, Caroline County Animal Control Officer S.M. Jessee said yesterday.

Jessee said Garrison's 12 dogs were either seized or forfeited following a hearing Friday in Caroline General District Court.

She said the investigation is ongoing and it is so far unclear where the actual dogfighting was taking place, although it is believed to be in another county.

"A lot of these fighters house and train the dogs in one place and fight them in another," Jessee said.

The officer added that the evidence found on Garrison's Caroline property was known to be used for training fighting dogs.
"We have certain things we look for when we respond to a call," she said.

Jessee said officers have been investigating Garrison's property since last year.

Of the dogs seized from Garrison, eight were pit bulls. There was also a German shepherd mix and her three newborn puppies, Jessee said.

Jessee said the dogs were being cared for by a variety of agencies in the area.

A Hanover County man was also recently arrested on charges that he was tied to the same dogfighting ring.

According to online court records, Donald Morris is charged in Hanover with the same count of promoting dogfighting and will be back in court July 2.

Garrison is next set to appear in Caroline court July 24.

Case Updates

A Hanover County judge yesterday dismissed a felony animal-torture charge, saying that the death by neglect of a pit bull puppy did not meet the statutory burden of willful infliction of injury. But Hanover General District Court Judge Peter Trible agreed that prosecution evidence that Donald T. Morris has engaged in felony dogfighting was sufficient to take the case to a grand jury next month. Morris, 42, a county employee and former high school football standout, offered no evidence yesterday at a preliminary hearing that saw a parade of prosecution witnesses who testified that a search of Morris' Needstan Lane property last May turned up items typically used to train dogs for fighting. In addition, some of the full-grown pit bulls recovered there and at another nearby property showed scars consistent with fighting, as well as broken teeth and heavily trimmed ears. Medications and underground magazines used by dogfighters also were recovered. A pit bull puppy whose condition was so deplorable that it had to be euthanized was not the victim of willfully inflicted injury, Trible ruled. The animal was covered with ticks, was dehydrated, had a severely low body temperature and was filled with worms, experts testified. Animal-control officers testified that Morris acknowledged the animals were his; Morris' lawyer, Craig Evans, argued there was no direct evidence that his client had engaged in dogfighting or had trained the animals for fighting. Hanover Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Stephen B. Royalty said Morris' treatment of 21 dogs found on two properties clearly showed evidence of his involvement in dogfighting. The condition of the puppy showed neglect to the point of deliberate injury, Royalty said.

Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch - Mar 19, 2010 Update posted on Mar 19, 2010 - 3:43PM

References

• Fredericksburg.com - June 2, 2009 WTVR.com - May 27, 2009

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