25 emaciated dogs, seven dead on chains
Arnoldsburg, WV (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, Dec 29, 2010
County: Calhoun
Charges: Felony CTA, Felony Non-CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 4 files available
Alleged:
» Edward Barrera
» Dwayne Smith
The discovery of an elderly man's body in his rural Calhoun County home led to the state's first felony animal fighting charge.
Authorities believe Edward Barrera, 87, who had been dead for weeks when his body was discovered Dec. 7, had been training dogs for pit fighting with another man.
Dwayne Smith, 30, of Arnoldsburg was arrested Dec. 29 and charged with felony animal fighting. He was released two days later, but information on his bond was not available.
He faces a prison sentence of one to five years and a fine of $1,000 to $5,000 if convicted.
On the day Barrera was found dead in his Arnoldsburg trailer, Calhoun County sheriff's deputies also found on the property 25 emaciated dogs and the bodies of seven dead dogs still chained to their ramshackle doghouses.
Of the 25 found alive, there were 17 pit bulls, four beagles and two mountain cur dogs.
The dead dogs were believed to have succumbed to starvation and exposure. Foul play is not suspected in Barrera's death.
Smith told officers in a voluntary, videotaped statement that he handled, trained and engaged in dog fighting with Barrera, according to a complaint filed in Calhoun County Magistrate Court.
He said he buried as many as 27 dogs in one day at Barrera's request and there were "hundreds of dogs that he had buried on the hill behind Barrera's house that he could not even begin to count," the complaint stated.
Calhoun officials had been investigating the dog-fighting angle since the animals were found. The Humane Society of the United States as well as a local organization, WV Pit Bull Haven, went to the Arnoldsburg trailer to assist deputies with the rescue effort.
Smith told deputies the last fight occurred two months before Barrera's death.
His arrest marked the first under the felony animal fighting statute enacted in 2003.
Chief Deputy Carl Ballengee of the Calhoun Sheriff's Department said the length of time between the law taking effect and Smith's arrest had a lot to do with the nature of the fighting community.
"It's so underground that you never hear that it's going on in West Virginia," Ballengee said. "They're so close-knit, and no one ever talks about it."
The Humane Society's help was crucial because deputies are not trained to investigate signs of suspected dog fighting.
Deputies found a treadmill and set of scales at Barrera's home. To the untrained eye, Ballengee said, those items are everyday fitness tools, but deputies now believe they were used to train dogs.
Deputies also found that the living room of a trailer on Barrera's property had been converted into a fighting pit. Ballengee said the walls of the room were lined with plywood. Blood was splattered on the walls and in the carpet.
"There's no law enforcement training for anything like this," Ballengee said. "We wouldn't know what to look for in the animals or at the scene."
He said he learned a great deal from the Humane Society over the course of the investigation.
The society is offering a reward of about $5,000 for information leading to the conviction of individuals involved with animal fighting.
"It was very clear that the now-deceased owner of these dogs had longtime ties to organized dog fighting and Smith was his partner in the dog fighting operation," said Chris Schindler, manager of animal fighting law enforcement for the society.
"The dogs we found were suffering in the bitter cold and bore the scars indicating they were the abused victims of dog fighting.
"We commend the Calhoun County Sheriff's Department for taking swift action in this case."
A veterinarian checked each dog taken from the property. The beagles and mountain curs were placed in shelters while the pit bulls were taken to an undisclosed location for rehabilitation.
Ballengee said the investigation is ongoing and those with information can contact the Humane Society at 877-TIP-HSUS (877-847-4787). References« WV State Animal Cruelty Map
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