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.
New Evidence Found In Apparent Dog Fighting Ring
Firefighter Believed To Be Responsible For Gruesome Crime
http://cbs2chicago.com
May 30, 2006, CALUMET TOWNSHIP, INDIANA -- Sheriff's police have broken up a gruesome dog fighting ring that trained and tortured more than a dozen animals. CBS 2 Northwest Indiana Bureau Chief Pamela Jones has an exclusive look at new evidence in the case and who is believed to be responsible for the ring.
Prosecutors are preparing to file charges in the case, and they shared some details exclusively with CBS 2.
The man believed to be responsible is a firefighter. Detectives say it is ironic that someone charged with helping with emergencies seems to have had a bit of an animal emergency at his own home.
A pit bull rescued from the man's home appears tame, but when it is near another dog, it reacts ferociously.
"They're trained to kill," said Lt. Matt Lubarski with the Lake County Sheriff's Dept.
Pit bulls make up some of the 16 animals confiscated from a Calumet Township home on Monday. CBS 2 was there as investigators rounded up some of the dogs that were chained to the ground.
Six other animals didn't survive. Their bodies were left to decay, wrapped in plastic in the bed of a pick up truck.
Detectives gathered a collection of items they believe were used to train the dogs to fight: a weighted collar, treadmill, a group of medicine vials and syringes, and a set of jumper cables with fur still attached.
"It's a shame because these dogs might have been able to lead a regular life someplace else," said Lubarski.
Also at the home were photos of dogs in apparent training. One dog looks to be hanging from a tree with its hind legs off the ground. Another is closed in a box.
Detectives say the resident of the home is a Gary firefighter. A training schedule for the animals was found written on the back of a fire department checklist.
The Lake County Sheriff's Department is still assembling the pieces of an apparent blood sport, allegedly played out on a bloody carpet in a makeshift ring at the home.
"For those who participate in this type of activity, we're going to pursue it to the fullest extent of the law," Lake County Sheriff Roy Dominguez said.
The resident of the home has an attorney, and the attorney has indicated the man is out of town. The attorney is waiting for charges to be filed.
