Many people end up at www.UnchainYourDog.org
because they are looking for information on dog fighting. We agree with
hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons that Cruel's Not Cool (Listen
to Simmons or see
poster).
Please, have a heart and treat other living and feeling creatures the way
you want to be treated: with respect and kindness. Dogs are social animals who
- in the wild - hunt together, sleep
together, and play together. It is a dog's nature to respect the pack
leader and get along with the rest of the pack. Not to fight. Dogfighting is cruel,
unnatural, and wrong.
Dog fighting is a felony, so report it to the police! To learn more about
dog fighting and how to stop it, visit our
Dogfighting page.
17 Pit Bulls Seized in Raid; Homeowner Sought
By Sherri Drake, The Commercial Appeal
December 20, 2003, MEMPHIS, TN-- A Memphis man is believed to head an apparent pit-bull
fighting operation, officials said Friday. Tony Evans, of 1485 Longcrest
Road, wanted on animal cruelty charges, is also wanted on theft charges as a
suspect in what authorities described as a theft ring targeting
four-wheelers.
Shelby County sheriff's deputies raided Evans's southwest Memphis home
Thursday. They didn't find him, but found three stolen four-wheelers, police
said. Searching his property they stumbled upon 20 mangled pit bulls,
officials said. Three of the dogs, including one puppy, were dead when
officers arrived.
Sheriff's Det. Nick Hazlerig said the dogs were chained up in several cages.
"It was nasty," he said. The hunt for Evans is a "two-headed monster,"
Hazlerig said, because he has two agencies looking for him - the sheriff's
department and the Memphis Animal Shelter.
The remaining 17 dogs were undergoing evaluation at the animal shelter
Friday. "If they are aggressive, they won't be able to be adopted," said
Donnie Mitchell, director of public services and neighborhoods for the city
of Memphis. Many of the dogs were covered in scratches and showed signs of
mistreatment, Mitchell said.
Evans's neighbors said Friday they weren't aware of any dog fighting on
their street. "I've never known him to do anything like that," said John
Harris, who lives a few houses from Evans.
There were about six large chain-link cages and several wooden dog houses in
the back yard of his house Friday. In the yard were many barrels with ramps
on them, floodlights and a handful of stakes in the ground with chains
attached.
Harris said the dogs didn't make a lot of noise in the quiet neighborhood.
"I haven't noticed anything as far as fighting," he said.
