Dog-fighting - 42 dogs found Grand Junction, TN (US) Incident Date: Friday, Jul 2, 2004 County: Hardeman Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Charges: Misdemeanor Alleged: Albert Smith

Case ID: 2569 Classification: Fighting Animal: dog (pit-bull) View more cases in TN (US) Login to Watch this Case

Accused of animal cruelty as well as drug charges, 30-year-old Albert Smith remains under a joint investigation by several law enforcement agencies.

Police discovered 42 pit bulls last Friday on Smith's property, located just outside of the city limits of Grand Junction and less than a half-mile from an elementary school. A local veterinarian, who declined comment, put all the dogs to sleep because police suspected they were trained to fight and thus could not be placed as pets.

''We have documentation that Smith owned the dogs,'' Grand Junction Police Chief James Mills said, but he declined to give specifics. ''The dogs were housed on his property but we believe they would fight them in an undisclosed location.''

After a two-year investigation, officers served a search warrant at Smith's residence, located at 410 Joy St.

A relative of Smith, Homer ''Hollywood'' Patterson, said he owned and took care of the dogs.

''My cousin didn't know anything about the dogs; they were mine,'' said Patterson, who has bred dogs for seven years. ''This is not a case of animal cruelty; they destroyed my dogs because they connected them to my cousin - it was low-down.''

Patterson was questioned by officers after Smith's arrest, but was not arrested and is not facing any charges, police said.

''If anyone will be charged, it will be Smith and not Patterson,'' Mills said.

Patterson has numerous explanations for the condition of the dogs, one a female with seven puppies who he admitted was not in the best of health.

''You could see her ribs on the side a little, but I used her for breeding and that's all,'' Patterson said. ''I didn't fight the dogs; I took care of them, and I've taken them to the vet before.''

Some residents were concerned Thursday afternoon with the issue of dog fighting in what they call their ''usually quiet town.''

''I've seen pit bulls around here who look like they've been involved in fights,'' said Richard Hill. ''I used to raise all kinds of dogs, and pit bulls aren't bad dogs; it's all in how they're raised. Fighting dogs is a big money-making business, but I haven't heard about it being a big problem here.''

Bolivar Police Chief Johnny Anthony said officers respond to dog-fighting complaints two to three times year.

''We have come across some pit bulls we believe were used for fighting before, but nothing on this scale,'' he said.

The drug charges are being handled by the Bolivar and Grand Junction police, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the West Tennessee Violent Crime and Drug Task Force, Anthony said.

The animal cruelty charges are being handled by the Hardeman County Sheriff's Department. Sheriff's Investigator Trent Wilbanks could not be reached for comment Thursday night.

One week after Smith was taken into police custody, his mobile home looks abandoned, with empty cages in the backyard. Police said he owns other properties on the street, and that he leases a former gas station property on Tenn. 57.

Investigators confiscated marijuana, more than 400 grams of crack cocaine and seven vehicles, including a new Lincoln Navigator. Smith was also believed to have surveillance equipment set up outside his home to detect anyone approaching.

''Smith was a large drug dealer in the area, and we built up a substantial case against him,'' Anthony said.

Neighborhood Map

For more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.

Back to Top

Add this case to:

Del.icio.us

|

Digg

|

Furl

|

References

The Jackson Sun - July 9, 2004

« TN State Animal Cruelty Map

Not sure what these icons mean? Click here.

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.