another bust

Saturday, October 22, 2005

26 pit bulls seized from home
Some dogs hurt; man faces charges

The Post and Courier

Charleston, South Carolina.

Johns Island Animal control officers seized 26 pit bulls Friday afternoon at a home off River Road, where many dogs were leashed on heavy chains inside a rickety fenced enclosure, authorities said.
Ranging from puppies to adults, some of the dogs had gashes and cuts on their faces. They were taken to an animal shelter, where veterinarians and staff where to examine their condition.

"They need to be checked out by a veterinarian and also by our staff," said Kay Hyman, a spokeswoman for the John Ancrum SPCA in North Charleston. "They have scratches on their faces; they have some skin conditions."

Charleston County sheriff's deputies arrested a man who lives at the home on 2942 Thomas Jones Road, a dirt track off of River Road, where the dogs were found. Ronald Maurice Adams, 38, was charged with 26 counts of a county ordinance regarding improper care of animals -- one for each dog, sheriff's Lt. Mike Benton said. The charge is a misdemeanor.

Adams is scheduled for a bond hearing today.

Deputies began seizing the dogs from a fenced area encircling the home around 1 p.m., Benton said. A few hours later, they executed a search warrant inside the small one-story house to investigate other possible charges.

"(Adams) would let them go around the premises, but he wouldn't let them go into the house," he said. "The investigation is still continuing."

Confiscated items included a treadmill and videotapes showing dogs fighting, he said.

This wasn't the first time authorities have cited Adams for dogs at the property.

"This started back in April when we received a possible report of illegal treatment of animals," Benton said.

The Sheriff's Office seized six dogs and cited Adams with six counts of animal care, Benton said. Adams signed over custody of the six dogs and paid restitution, Benton said. Dogs that appeared to be in better condition were not seized and remained at the home.

In recent years, authorities in South Carolina have made numerous large-scale seizures of dogs, including some in the Lowcountry.

Pit-bull breeder David Ray Tant is serving a 14-year prison sentence after being convicted of dogfighting last year. Tant was considered one of the world's most successful breeders of pit bulls, which were bred to fight other dogs to the death.

After Tant's arrest, authorities euthanized 49 dogs that were confiscated from his property near Ravenel. His dog pens were discovered after a land surveyor was slightly injured by a booby trap.

State Attorney General Henry McMaster has led a well-publicized, public-private task force to combat dogfighting. The Attorney General's Office has teamed up with the State Law Enforcement Division and several state humanitarian groups to staff and fund the task force, which includes a SLED agent and an assistant attorney general dedicated to investigating and prosecuting dogfighting cases. The task force works with local law enforcement to investigate crimes.

Not all dog-seizure cases involve dogfighting.

In March, sheriff's deputies on James Island seized 16 malnourished dogs confined to small cages filled with feces in a foul-smelling backyard. The 13 hounds and three beagles were kept behind the man's house off Fort Johnson Road in various-sized cages, some only about 3 feet long and 2 feet wide. The owner was charged with 16 counts of animal neglect.

In the latest case, someone saw a for-sale notice advertising the pit bulls on a pet-store bulletin board and reported it to Charleston County Animal Control.

"The public can be empowered by reporting these things," the SPCA's Hyman said. "In this particular case, someone saw a photo of these animals somewhere in a store."

She said the public should call local police to report animals that aren't receiving proper care.


Scoring disabled.