Dog-fighting Brainerd, MN (US) Incident Date: Tuesday, Aug 16, 2005 County: Crow Wing Local Map: available Disposition: Dismissed Charges: Felony CTA Persons of Interest: » Nathan Jerome Volkmuth » Nathan Jay Weiland Case Updates: 3 update(s) available

Case ID: 5378 Classification: Fighting Animal: dog (pit-bull) View more cases in MN (US) Login to Watch this Case

Two men were arrested Aug 16 in north Brainerd after allegedly provoking dogs, including a pit bull terrier, to fight each other. Brainerd Police Chief John Bolduc said about 8 p.m. officers responded to a house in the 1,000 block of Fir Street after neighbors called police about two large dogs fighting at the residence.

During the fight, the two adult dogs began attacking a small, black pit bull puppy, Bolduc said, and the puppy died shortly after officers arrived.

Two men, a 17-year-old owner of the puppy who lived at the house and a 23-year-old rural Brainerd man who owned one of the adult dogs, were arrested for felony dog fighting. The 23-year-old was treated at St. Joseph's Medical Center for a dog bite he suffered on his hand while trying to separate the dogs.

Crow Wing County Attorney Don Ryan said the 17-year-old made his first appearance on Aug 17 in Crow Wing District Court on a dog fighting charge and he expected the 23-year-old to make his first court appearance Aug 18.

Bolduc said the fight took place in a fenced-in area of the back yard at the house. He said it was witnessed by several people, including several children who were attending a nearby birthday party.

"This was an uncivilized act that shocked the citizens who witnessed it," Bolduc said in an interview. "The public sentiment is that this is an outrageous act and we intend to punish these individuals."

An adult pit bull involved in the fight was impounded by officers and placed at the Heartland Animal Rescue Team office in Brainerd. The other adult dog involved in fighting hasn't been located, Bolduc said. He said his office would seek to have both dogs declared dangerous.

Bolduc said there was no gambling involved with the dog fight, as far as his officers knew. He also said he was unaware whether the Brainerd Police Department has ever made arrests for dog fighting.

Brainerd police officers have responded to more than 40 police calls at the residence since 2004, Bolduc said, with most of the calls involving noise complaints, disturbances and fighting. Bolduc said his office also has investigated previous claims of dog fighting at the residence.

He said in an otherwise quiet north Brainerd neighborhood, this one house has stuck out.

"The police call volume at this residence represented the biggest collection of irresponsible behavior at any one address in Brainerd. This is typical nonsense that goes on there," Bolduc said in a news release. "They should expect an unprecedented level of police attention until this behavior stops."

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References

	Brainerd Dispatch - Aug 18, 2005
	Brainerd Dispatch - Aug 23, 2005

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