Dog-fighting - 90 dogs seized
Marion, TX (US)Incident Date: Saturday, Jan 8, 2005
County: Bexar
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Brian James Bailey
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
Five men face felony charges and more than 20 others received citations after Jan 9 raid of what one official called the biggest dog fight event he's ever seen in Texas. Ninety pit bulls were removed from the grounds in eastern Bexar County. A judge is to determine the dogs' fate in the coming days.
The Bexar County Sheriff's Department SWAT team descended upon the property in the 3400 block of FM 2538 at 11:30 p.m. after being tipped off by the Humane Society of the United States.
The number of dogs found was twice as many as authorities had expected.
"This is the largest (dog fight) that I've attended or raided in the state of Texas," said Dave Garcia, a vice president of operations for SPCA of Texas who has worked in the state for 12 years.
"Some of these people were important people in the dog fighting world," Humane Society Regional Coordinator Jay Sabatucci said of the raid, which was made possible in part by information gleaned from Web sites and magazines the Humane Society keeps tabs on.
Investigators say the landowner, Brian Bailey, is well known for dogfights, and say his website pitdogs.org promotes the bloodsport.
"This was a well organized, large dogfighting event," said Garcia.
Bailey faces animal cruelty and dogfighting charges, and if convicted, could spend two years in a state jail.
A judge will decide the dogs' fates in the next ten days.
Case UpdatesA judge Thursday granted custody of 88 pitbulls seized during a raid to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
The owners of some of the dogs that were taken away by authorities during a dogfight in Marion on Jan. 8 were hoping to get their pets back, but SPCA officials have no plans on returning the animals.
"There's issues of security," said Dave Garcia, SPCA vice president of operations. "There's issues of liability."
Garcia said at least 40 severely injured adult dogs will be euthanized. Younger dogs and puppies will be evaluated and will possibly be adopted out or destroyed.
The owner of the property where the raid occurred remains in jail on felony charges of animal cruelty. | Source: Yahoo News/KSAT - Jan 21, 2005
Update posted on Jan 22, 2005 - 9:13PM |
A judge on Friday ruled against reducing Bailey's bond - ordering be held on bonds totaling $50,000 bond on charges of animal cruelty and causing animals to fight. The bond is 15 times the normal judges set for Class A misdemeanor charges.
Bailey was in court for his bond reduction hearing. He was wearing a mask because his test results for tubercolosis are pending. Testing for tubercolosis is routine for jail inmates. | Source: ClickOnSA.Com/Yahoo News - Jan 14, 2005
Update posted on Jan 16, 2005 - 9:48PM |
References« TX State Animal Cruelty Map
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