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.
Two Men Booked with Dogfighting
By Walt Philbin, Staff Writer of The Times-Picayune
October 7, 2003 --
Apparently used in dogfighting, more than a dozen pit bulls, some badly scarred on the face and body, were taken Monday by police and the SPCA from a vacant lot in the Lower 9th Ward next to Jackson Barracks, police said. The dogs had been chained to fences, trees and abandoned cars. Thirteen pit bulls -- one so badly scarred from fighting it likely will be euthanized today -- along with a treadmill for training the dogs and photos of dogfighting led to the arrest of two New Orleans men on charges of dogfighting and animal cruelty Monday.
The dogs were chained to fences and a tree in a vacant lot across from the men's home in the Lower 9th Ward next to Jackson Barracks, police said.
One man, Rudolph Bolds Jr., 34, admitted the dogs were his and was arrested outside the home he shares with his parents at 6425 N. Johnson St., police said.
His father, Rudolph Bolds Sr., 58, also was arrested after the photographs and other evidence of dogfighting were found inside the home, police said.
Both men were booked with two counts of dogfighting and 13 counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, both felony charges, police said. The charges carry a prison sentence ranging from one to 10 years, police said.
One of the dogs, with numerous scars on her face and head, faced likely euthanization today because it appeared she had been forced to participate in dogfighting, which will prevent her from ever being adopted, said a staffer with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
"She was the best fighter, you can tell by her scars and the fact she survived them," one animal control officer said.
The dogs, which animal control officers said were medium-size, were tethered separately on heavy chains of varying length that kept them apart. Nearly every dog had a doghouse made out of a metal barrel in the large lot, and a large plastic container of water. It was unclear if they had been fed. Some of the dogs seemed thin, said Laura Maloney, executive director of the Louisiana SPCA.
The dogs were taken in three separate vans to the SPCA, where a veterinarian will examine them before deciding with animal control officers today which dogs, if any, could be saved, SPCA officials said. Three pit bull puppies were found in a shed. Those dogs have a good chance of being put up for adoption, an SPCA officer said.
The SPCA learned of the operation a few months ago, but a previous check of the property failed to turn up any evidence of wrongdoing, said Kathryn Destreza, chief animal control officer. A second check was made Monday, Destreza said. Police said they received the report from the SPCA shortly after noon.
"We didn't expect to find a treadmill," Destreza said.
Police checked records and learned the lot was owned by the elder Bolds, who also owned the house across the street at 6425 N. Johnson St.
Police got a warrant before searching the house. Inside the home police found items indicating dogfighting, New Orleans police spokesman officer Juan Barnes said.
While waiting for the warrant, police spotted a treadmill, modified for dogs, through an open door in the shed, Barnes said.
Police arrested the elder Bolds, who told police that his son was out of town on a cruise. But 30 minutes later, about 6:15 p.m., Rudolph Bolds Jr. showed up and was also arrested, Barnes said.
A pit bull puppy belonging to the elder Bolds were found in the back yard, and a Chihuahua in the house. They were not taken to the SPCA.
