Dog-fighting - 2 injured dogs seized
Panama City, FL (US)Incident Date: Friday, Sep 11, 2009
County: Bay
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged:
» Marvin Jones
» Jason Partee
Police have nabbed one man and are searching for another in connection to a suspected dog fighting case.
Marvin Jones, 29, of 1620 Lincoln Ave., is out of jail on a $6,000 bond and is awaiting a Nov. 5 arraignment on a third-degree felony charge of fighting or baiting animals. Jason Partee, 26, of 658 Wilson Ave., faces the same charge but officers have not yet arrested him.
According to an incident report and witness statements, Jones and Partee held two pit bull dogs on leashes and allowed them to fight until they were “bloodied and injured.” The incident happened about 6 p.m. Sept. 11 on East 10th Street.
A small group of people watched the fight, but it is unclear if gambling was part of the incident, said Bay County Animal Control Division Manager Jim Crosby. Crosby was called to the scene after Jones and Partee had left.
Jones and Partee told officers they were trying to mate a male dog and a female dog when the female rejected the male’s advances and bit him. However, they managed to hide another dog from officers and were allowed to leave the scene, according to police reports.
Crosby found Jones’ dog at the scene and determined that the animals had been involved in a dog fight. A witness also came forward and told the officers that Jones and Partee had initiated the dog fight.
“It wasn’t an organized dog ring kind of fight,” Crosby said. But “spontaneous street corner fighting is becoming more and more common around the United States.”
Officials found Partee’s dog, but not Partee, at his mother’s home. The two male dogs, “Bobo” and “Pretty Boy,” had puncture wounds and other “typical dog fight injuries,” Crosby said. They were seized by animal control officials and classified as dangerous dogs because any animal used in a dog fight is automatically labeled a dangerous dog, Crosby said.
To comply with county laws, the dogs’ owners will have to buy at least $100,000 in liability insurance to cover any future injuries the dogs might cause. Failing to obtain the insurance, or violating other regulations such as muzzling the dogs when in public, would cause the Animal Control to take the dogs and euthanize them.
According to the Bay County Clerk of Courts Web site, Partee has been arrested previously for sale of crack, aggravated fleeing and eluding, and possession of crack with intent to distribute. Jones previously was arrested for possession of cocaine, grand theft auto, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, burglary, robbery and kidnapping. References« FL State Animal Cruelty Map
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