.Dog Fighting.

Everyone is giving poor little pit bulls bad raps these days and it's beginning to really aggravate me. First you have the lady whose two pit bulls killed the neighbors lab and had to be put down and now this! Like I do everyday at noon, I was watching the news today and heard a rather disturbing story right out of Gates County. Officials say that dogfighting is a growing problem in this area and they are doing everything they can to stop it! It's just too close to home.

The Gates County Sheriff found two dead dogs and four alive, but malnourished. These animals were being kept in small cages and were tied to heavy chains. They also seized 13 dogs under court order yesterday morning. Eleven pit bulls and two rottweilers, but the owner...no where to be found. A 15 pound chain was found on a 25 pound dog. The chain is used to make the dog's muscles stronger. To make matters worse the officers seized bottles of dog vitamins and steroids. Among other disturbing things confiscated from the crime scene include a goat horn that was used to pry open the locked jaws of two dogs and appears red due to dried blood also a wooden treadmill where the dogs would be placed with a dangling animal carcass in front of them and the dog would run on the mill to catch thus making them stronger and faster.

This morning the owner finally turned himself in and faces one felony count of Dogfighting, 13 misdemeanor counts of Animal Cruelty and three counts of Not Properly Disposing of Animal Carcases. When asked about the evidence found on his property he said he knew nothing about it! His bond is set $16,500, so I am pretty sure he is not going anywhere anytime soon, but STILL! Now let me explain to you the animal carcases part of his charges because this is the part the really pissed me off. This jackass had three burnt dog carcases in a bag that they found on his property that investigators are saying appears that the dogs who did not survive the fights were doused in gasoline and burnt!!!! Are you kidding me!?! How can you do that and sleep at night!?

The seized dogs are being kept at the Chowan County animal shelter and sadly many have scars, appear weak from malnutrition, and one appears to have a broken leg. Four of the dogs that were seized were considered aggressive and had to be euthanized. :(