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.


 

Vancouver Police Seize Incriminating Evidence in Dog-Fighting Inquiry

www.columbian.com

By JEFFREY MIZE

October 15, 2004, VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON--Police seized dog-fighting rules, veterinary supplies and a freshly carved "breaking stick" for prying open jaws during canine battles when they raided a Vancouver ranch earlier this week. A list of potentially incriminating items was part of legal papers filed Thursday in Clark County District Court. Also filed was an affidavit that Vancouver Detective Lawrence Zapata provided to obtain a search warrant.

Police confiscated 21 pit bulls, 16 adults and five puppies, along with items related to dog fighting when they served their search warrant at 8612 N.W. Lower River Road on Tuesday morning. Sgt. John Chapman of the Vancouver Police Department's violent crime unit said Thursday that police still haven't questioned Eduardo Jose Ribaya, 52, who has lived at the Lower River Road property for about three years. Ribaya has past convictions for organizing dogfights in the San Francisco Bay area, according to newspaper reports.

Animal advocates in the Bay area are familiar with Ribaya and say he was a central figure in organizing a high-stakes dog-fighting competition in a San Francisco warehouse. Police reportedly made more than 75 arrests and seized about $50,000 in cash when they raided the warehouse in 1995. Vancouver police discovered records from Ribaya's previous arrest for dog fighting when they searched the Lower River Road property. They also seized compact disks containing information on breeding, training and fighting dogs, plus accounts of battles between specific dogs.

Kim Kapp, police spokeswoman, still was not ready to characterize Ribaya as a suspect or to say if police were searching for him. "He is a person associated with this investigation," Kapp said Thursday night. "Detectives would like to speak with him." Under state law, entering a dog into a fight is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Possessing or training animals for fights, as well as watching animal fights, are misdemeanors punishable by up to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine.

The Lower River Road property is owned by the Port of Portland and leased to Holdner Farms, which raises organic beef there. Holdner Farms subleases one of two homes on the property to Ribaya and gives him access to the barn, garages and other buildings. Clark County animal-control officials received their first complaint in April 2003 about potential animal cruelty at the Lower River Road property. According to Zapata's affidavit, Carrie Martin, a county animal-control officer, questioned Ribaya about his activities last year. "Officer Martin confronted Ed Ribaya about her suspicions that he was fighting pit bulls on his property," Zapata wrote. "She informed him that it is a crime to fight dogs and that he should get out of the dog-fighting business, after which Ed Ribaya responded by stating it's 'big money.' "

Animal-control officials intensified their interest after receiving an anonymous phone tip on Aug. 19 of this year. Zapata's affidavit said animal-control officers went to the property but found no one home. As they walked along the outside fence, they saw 19 chained pit bulls, a litter of at least 10 rabbits and a dog treadmill, the affidavit says. Live rabbits often are used as bait to train pit bulls, a technique known as "blooding" where the dog mauls and kills another animal as a way to encourage aggression. Dog treadmills, smaller versions of those found in athletic clubs, are used to build endurance for fights that can last an hour or longer. Animal-control officers saw an area lined by hay bales and other items, 14 to 16 feet square, that could have been used for staging dogfights, according to the affidavit. They also spotted four or five pit bulls with scarring, a potential indicator of past fights, the affidavit says.

According to court papers, police carted off a number of items Tuesday that could be used to build a case against Ribaya, including: Assorted wound medications and syringes, along with possible suturing materials. Multiple bottles of vitamins, steroid supplements and veterinary compounds for quick recovery from heavy exertion. Photos of three pit bulls attacking a live boar. Handwritten charts showing training and feeding schedules for a dog named "Baby Girl." Police also confiscated evidence of an indoor marijuana- growing operation, including grow lamps and marijuana remnants from a drying operation.
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