Largest Dog Fighting Raid and Rescue in U.S. History

[CountAllVotes]

St. Louis, MO, September 14, 2009 -- The Humane Society of Missouri today confirms guilty pleas have been entered in connection to the July 8, 2009 multi-state federal dog fighting raid that resulted in the rescue of more than 500 fighting dogs. Federal agents made 26 arrests and dogs were rescued in 8 states.

This rescue operation is the largest dog fighting raid in U.S. history. The Humane Society of Missouri participated in the 18-month investigation and led the subsequent rescue and shelter operations, working in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Marshals Service and the United States Attorney.

Four eastern Missouri men, Robert Hackman of Foley, Teddy Kiriakidis of Leasburg, Ronald Creech of Leslie and Michael Morgan of Hannibal pled guilty today in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to charges connected to the dog fighting raid. Another man arrested in connection with the dog fighting raid, Jack Ruppel of Eldon pled guilty to charges on September 4 in federal court in Jefferson City.

“We can confirm that five of the individuals charged with this gruesome form of animal abuse are being brought to justice,” said Kathy Warnick, president of the Humane Society of Missouri. “Today’s guilty pleas raise awareness that dog fighting is unacceptable, inhumane and illegal and will not be tolerated. The unprecedented scale of this investigation and rescue operation should alert the entire nation to what a horrible crime dog fighting is and what a dangerous and serious affect it can have on animals and communities.”

http://member.hsmo.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Federal_dog_fighting_case_press_release_9_14




FAY is a torture victim, the torture of the blood sport of dog fighting. When rescued, her face, neck, shoulders and legs were covered with scars. Horrifically, she had no lips; presumed to be ripped off in a fight. Though she looks menacing, all she really wants is someone to pet and hug her. And that’s the tragedy of dog fighting -- dogs horribly wounded and scarred physically…and mentally. FAY is very friendly with people, but sadly, she’s very aggressive toward dogs - the heartbreaking result of the twisted breeding and training to which she’s been subjected.

:cry: :cry: :cry:

This has got to be one of the most sickening stories I have yet to read. While I do not live in Missouri, I have contributed $$$ to them in the past and will continue to do so as they DO GOOD WORK like rounding up these criminals!

HELP IF YOU CAN!

Thank you!

CountAllVotes

:dem:

[gorfle]

1. People derive pleasure from watching pain and suffering.

We humans are simply twisted as fuck. It is no different than the damn gladiatorial games of ancient Rome. Clearly we have made little progress as a species.

People who get off on watching things fight just derive pleasure from watching the pain and suffering of creatures. It's just that simple. These people have ZERO EMPATHIC CAPABILITIES. Instead of the normal reaction of sympathy and shock and a desire to help when watching something in pain, these people GET FUCKING EXCITED ABOUT IT.

I cannot understand this mentality. I cannot understand causing suffering FOR PLEASURE. I believe the people who indulge in these sorts of things are truly, truly, mentally ill.

[TxRider]

2. We're animals after all

What other animal would feel empathy for another species or even another animal in pain, most omnivores/carnivores just see that as an easy lunch.

That's the genetic foundation we are now trying to shed as a species.

We are not so removed as many like to think we are.

These sick individuals put the exclamation point on that...

[seabeyond]

8. you can be the animal. i chose not. so tired of this fucking stupid

attitude.

just an animal, expect no more

wtf

[TxRider]

20. Just being real

I expect some to act like animals, how can you look at the world around you and not?

I rescued a german shepherd just a few months ago.

Seized by SPCA, tied on a short chain to a post, breeder, no hair, both ears infected and just bags of blood, days from dying of starvation..

It's taken quite a while to establish trust, and I'll be taking her for her canine good citizen test soon.

I'd adopt one of these if they were closer, or not likely already destroyed.

[seabeyond]

25. i hear you on the care of animals, regardless, the simple explanation we are animals

is a mere excuse for me. we are not mere animals. we are so much more. and shame on us that cant do better.

[votingupstart]

6. Not all of "we Humans" are twisted like these idiots

i think that scum like this should be thrown in a dark hole for a long time, but i have a hard time saying that these shit-stains are representative of us as humans.

i do not want anyone to misconstrue this as ANY type of defense of these types of crimes, they are horrible, disgusting and should be punished much more severely than they are now - i just want to distinguish "them" from "us".

[TxRider]

7. I think they should be given to those dogs...

[CountAllVotes]

9. greed and mentally ill

and we take the likes of MICHAEL VICK and let this criminal loose only to make millions of dollars a year on the sacred football field.

He should have been locked up in a cage with his fighting dogs IMO.

I have no sympathy, none, for individuals that do things like this to animals.

I have often questioned the whys in these types of situations. I have yet to find concrete answers to any of them. The only thing I can personally do is try to help organizations like the Humane Society of Missouri to work on helping animals.

I'll never get over what happened in my own case of too briefly owning a tortured dog. It was the saddest thing I'd ever encountered in my lifetime.

You want revenge, yes. It can be difficult to get revenge so all you can do it write to legislators and put the word out.

I will state however that the person I obtained the dog from that had been tortured is no longer in business THANK GOD FOR THAT!

:kick:

[The Stranger]

3. Bury the criminal dog fighters in prison for the rest of their lives.

Find loving homes for the animals so they can claim to have lived some semblance of life.

And keep up the good work.

[corpseratemedia]

4. breaks my heart

i hope they can be adopted

look what humans do to them, and all they still want is love and care from humans

[driver8]

5. Poor little Fay -- look at that sweet girl.

How fucked up do you have to be to watch dogs tear each other apart?

Thanks for posting this...

[CountAllVotes]

10. you are welcome

I found this in my in box this a.m. and I had to get the word out on this horrific situation. It seems they were able to rescue 400 of the 500 dogs they picked up.

They are now searching for homes for them. If I could take one of them I would.

DAMN!

:dem: :kick:

[flvegan]

11. Short rescue slide show here

(no graphic pics of dogfighting or bloody dogs)

http://www.hsus.org/hsus_field/hsus_disaster_center/disasters_press_room/fieldnotes.html

[CountAllVotes]

18. great slide show there flvegan

shows what fine work the Humane Society of Missouri is doing!!! :D :D :D :thumbsup:

:kick:

[driver8]

27. Those pictures broke my heart...it is amazing how gentle the dogs

are after the way that they have been treated for so long.

[flvegan]

32. Not surprising, though. Check these out.

I raided a dogfighting kennel to remove a very sick dog.

That's my hand:



Physically carried this girl out:



Us at the vet not 1/2 hour later:



The pit bull myth is just that.

[driver8]

34. I remember when you did that...

Whatever happened to that sweet girl?

[flvegan]

36. Matter of fact, she's lounging on the loveseat next to me with her "dog boyfriend"

She's not ready for a new home yet, but in another 6 months, we'll get her adopted out. She's not quite spoiled, but the family that wants her when she's ready...well, let's just say WE should be so lucky to live in such luxury.

[shireen]

38. thank you, fivegan!

:yourock:

:hug:

I am so grateful for people like you ...

[driver8]

41. That is great news -- thanks for the update!! I appreciate it... n/t

[CountAllVotes]

42. what a fine thing you have done flvegan!

:hug: and thank you for doing it and the dogs certainly :loveya: for it too! :D

:kick:

[Hidden Stillness]

12. Poor, Oppressed Victims--I Hope This Will Help

It is so painfully ironic that you should have an avatar picture of that wonderful dog-lover Ted Kennedy, being part of this thread-story.

There had better be strong penalties, after all this suffering and torture, cruelty, all this dangerous work to bring the case. They abuse the dogs all of their lives, they torture them to death if they lose a fight, they torture for a lifetime the "bait dogs," who suffer horrific, gaping, painful wounds that are never repaired, but inflicted, horrifically, over and over and over again. Generally, the bait dogs, who live only to be attacked, have their mouths taped shut, so they can be ripped at with no oppostion. (It makes me so fucking mad just to write this--and the evil "support" that the bastard Vick got! This is a definition of "the devil," if anyone didn't think there was one. All this horror, pain, exploitation, and the frightened, crying, hurt, abused dogs, spend their whole lives, surrounded by devils.)

Not only the cruel violence of the fights, but the kinds of torture inflicted on "losing" dogs after--electrocution of wet animals, strangling and hanging them so their front feet are off the ground, beatings and stabbings, shootings; and the endless, merciless, cruelty to the "bait dogs."

One of my own beloved, elderly dogs died recently, from cancer. The animal-cruelty types are keeping us all--humans and other animals--from living anything like a compassionate, fair, safe or civilized life. This has to be treated as violent cruelty toward a victim, as with humans, or it will never be controlled, much less ended. Burn in Hell.

[CountAllVotes]

14. a very hot hell

this is where these people will end up, fear not.

In the meantime, they are still around and incorporated into various sections of our society. Do we even want these types of persons around us, our children, and more importantly it seems to me, animals?!!

As for Michael Vick, I hope he looks forward to his future afterlife in that big football field in hell with all of the devils he will find himself surrounded by. Damn he sickens me! You can tell how evil he his by watching him with his snakelike tongue wiggling from side to side. :puke: DAMN HIM!!! :mad: :mad: :mad: :nuke:

Thank you for your post. It is thought provoking and fact full to say the very least.

:kick:

[Cronus Protagonist]

13. ummm with the public kennels overflowing and dogs being put down every week

Aren't these dogs now on death row? This is not to argue that they should be kept fighting, of course not, but I wonder if they've really been saved. I sure hope so.

[CountAllVotes]

15. They are doing the best they can

>>“Our rescue team is one of the most experienced and best trained and equipped teams in the country,” said Rickey. “We were able to rescue, document and transport more than 400 dogs from 22 sites in 24 hours. There was simply no way we would leave even one of these dogs behind. We were committed to making sure none would ever be forced to fight again.”

and ...

ANIMAL SHELTERING AND EVALUATION
Under contract with the USDA’s Office of the Inspector General, the Humane Society of Missouri is managing the sheltering, veterinary care, behavioral evaluation and eventual placement of the 407 dogs rescued in Missouri and Illinois and the additional 100 puppies born since the rescue.

Humane Society of Missouri veterinarians conducted examinations of each dog and are providing daily veterinary care as needed. Dogs rescued from the properties associated with the persons who pled guilty today exhibited numerous wounds and scars; one was missing lips; another was missing a leg. Many had internal parasites, ear infections and broken, worn or missing teeth.

Along with Humane Society of Missouri’s dedicated professional shelter staff, more than 265 volunteers from 22 organizations across the U.S. have given more than 7,600 hours of time to care for these animals. “We are very thankful to every person who has helped us care for these dogs so far,” said Debbie Hill, vice president of Operations for the Humane Society of Missouri and director of the emergency shelter. “It is a tragedy that because of mistreatment by humans for financial gain and so-called sport, many dogs from animal fighting situations may not ever be able to be placed in permanent homes.”

*****

If you care to help send them $5.00 or something!

[Barack_America]

21. They won't die in a dog fight...

...Or from untreated wounds resulting from one.

That's gotta count for something.

[TxRider]

22. I'm sure most were already euthanized.

[jgraz]

16. This will continue until we start handing out real prison terms to these sociopaths

I'd bet most sane people would have no problem with these sadists spending the rest of their lives in prison.

[CountAllVotes]

17. they do belong in prison

but our society instead decides to reward them with million $$$ contracts on football fields instead.

Don't you just love "professional" sports?

:grr:

:kick:

[Thothmes]

33. After they have served out their sentences in

a federal Penitentary.

[undeterred]

19. I rescued my pup from Missouri.

Just a lost dog, not abused.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

28. Such a sweet face and beautiful coat! Lucky pup and I'm sure you feel luckier! :)

[undeterred]

30. Yes I do.

:hi:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

31. Awwwwww

:hi:

[shireen]

39. awwwww ... a sweetheart!

adorable, you're very fortunate to have him/her!

[Yunomi]

23. My dog is named Fay, too.

:cry:

[TxRider]

35. I adopted mine this spring, her name is Hope

[uppityperson]

24. When Annie disappeared, I hoped was killed by cougar, not dognapped

not dognapped and forced to fight for her life. Annie was such a sweet dog, and it broke my heart wishing her dead rather than dognapped.

Good work stopping dog fighting.

[infidel dog]

26. My heart is breaking. May there be justice for the monsters responsible for this cruelty.

In this world or the next.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

29. heartbreaking

[donco6]

37. My dogs are so precious to me.

How someone could expose their animals to such cruelty is unfathomable.

[Roland99]

40. Hmm...were the Eagles playing the Rams by chance?

Still can't believe that thug Michael Vick is back in the NFL.

[CountAllVotes]

43. many football fans agree with you on that point

I am not a football fan but I know of several that are disgusted by Vick and his new greedy contract! :mad:

I hope he rots in hell!!!!@!