Dog-fighting - 4 dogs, one puppy seized
Columbus, OH (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Aug 2, 2005
County: Franklin
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 10 files available
Alleged:
» Jeffrey Patterson
» Bekari Jvonne Thomas
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
The Franklin County's Sheriff's Office and Animal Control said they busted a dog-fighting operation on Aug 2 in the Hilltop area, NBC 4's Nancy Burton reported. Dog owner Jeffrey Patterson, 22, said there was nothing illegal happening at the house, and the pit bulls were being trained for competition, not dog fighting.
The Sheriff's Office said it's heard that line before.
Patterson was arrested and charged with dog fighting and four counts of cruelty to companion animals.
Authorities took four pit bulls and one puppy from 342 Clarendon Avenue.
"I feel we have sufficient evidence to prosecute the case," said undercover sheriff's deputy Dave Hunt.
Hunt said they dogs were being used for fighting. He said they seized treadmills, weight sleds and harnesses from the home.
Hunt said one of the male pit bulls has a scar, which will also serve as evidence.
"(There were) numerous neighborhood complaints, not only to our agency, but to the Capital Area Humane Society and Animal Control," Hunt said.
Authorities said none of the dogs had food or water.
Patterson's brother BJ Thomas said he owns the dogs.
He said it was wrong for the sheriff's office to arrest Patterson.
"Every person in the neighborhood can vouch they're not vicious dogs," Thomas said.
Thomas said his dogs were in training for weight pulls, and he has awards to prove it.
"They know I don't do dog fighting. The Humane Society has been here. I'm not dog fighting," Thomas said.
Hunt said other people could be charged in the next few weeks.
He said because of beefed-up enforcement, many pit bull dog-fighting operations have moved out of Franklin County to surrounding areas.
Case UpdatesTwo Columbus brothers were indicted Wednesday on charges stemming from fighting pit bulls.
"They know that I do not dog fight. There's been several animal control people come by my house to check on ... me and they know I'm not dog fighting," Bekari Jvonne Thomas, a pit bull owner, said in August.
But a grand jury believed that Thomas and his brother Jeffrey Patterson were fighting pit bulls. The two were charged with felony counts of dog fighting and keeping dog fighting equipment and a misdemeanor count of not taking care of the animals.
"The message is this really is abuse of the dog. It really is done for entertainment or gambling and it is something that won't be tolerated here in Franklin County," said Ron O'Brien, Franklin County prosecutor.
The investigation began in August when neighbors complained that residents in a house in the Hilltop area were training dogs for fighting. Undercover officers investigated the allegations.
"We seized a lot of items used to typically train dogs for fighting, wood tread mills, various weight-pulling sleds, harnesses," said Dave Hunt, of the Franklin County sheriff's office. | Source: NBC News - Oct 19, 2005
Update posted on Oct 19, 2005 - 6:41PM |
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