Dog-fighting - seven dogs seized Denham Springs, LA (US) Incident Date: Monday, Feb 23, 2004 County: Livingston Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Alleged: Leanto Thomas

Case ID: 2058 Classification: Fighting Animal: dog (pit-bull) View more cases in LA (US) Login to Watch this Case

Denham Springs officials say illegal pit bull fighting has escalated within the past year. They say it has become so popular that some people will even bet their homes on it. Animal Control says it has already busted three separate dog-fighting rings.

Graphic video of this illegal fighting shows how much abuse the animals go through. You can clearly see the scratches and scars left on dogs who fight.

"It's horrible. I mean one dog in particular was just torn apart. Her neck was just shredded," said Animal Control Director Bernadette Everette.

Everett says the number of dog fights in city limits and throughout Livingston parish grows each day, but stopping the problem has become more difficult. She says, "You have a lot of spectators and everybody scatters and it is extremely difficult to catch these people."

Two weeks ago, State Police and Denham police arrested Leanto Thomas. Police charged Thomas with dog fighting and animal cruelty. Seven pitbulls were taken from behind his house on Rodeo Drive. They were all destroyed.

Everett says a winning dog can bring in thousands of dollars, which makes stopping fights even more dangerous.

"These people are very serious about dog fighting. Because dog fighting means money, and these people don't like their pocket book messed with," said Everett. "It gets to me. And it makes me want to find these people. I look all the time."

Mayor Jimmy Durbin says any dogs caught fighting in Denham Springs will be confiscated and destroyed. Dog fighting in Louisiana is a felony. A conviction can get you up to a $25,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison.

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