Hernando works to curb increase in dogfighting
BROOKSVILLE — Davey, a 2 1/2-year-old pit bull, romps around these days in the office of Hernando County Animal Services, tail wagging and affectionate to anyone who pets his black-and-white coat.
Davey is segregated from other dogs because if he sees one he immediately takes an attack posture. He was rescued three weeks ago by an animal services officer who found him wandering just before dusk outside a Circle K convenience store at Mariner Boulevard and State Road 50.
Given his wounds, staffers quickly surmised Davey had been in many dog fights. He had a bad gash on his head; his lip was cut off and there were many other wounds on his body.
“He was badly beat up,” said Julie Rosenberger, Animal Services director, who nursed Davey back to health in a short time.
But psychological scars remain.
After a lifetime of being bred to fight, he might not have an appropriate temperment for adoption. Rosenberger in the next week or so will decide whether to euthanize Davey.
Dogfighting takes place in Hernando County, as evidenced by the number of abused dogs rescued by animal services.
“Following the Labor Day weekend, we definitely had quite a few injured dogs come in,” Rosenberger said.
Some people gamble on dogfights, occasionally pitting them against each other in trunks of cars, she said. Once the dog loses a number of fights, it normally is discarded or killed because gamblers won’t bet on a loser, she said.
There is a certain amount of “street cred” among gangs, for example, who take pride in showcasing “top dogs.” And they’re not just pit bulls.
Smaller dogs, including poodles and shih-tzus, sometimes are taken from people’s front yards to be used as teasers and bait dogs.
“When they train the pit bulls, they need something small to get them to go after something,” said Anke Matthiessen, a volunteer at animal services for two years. “They usually start with small dogs, puppies or cats. They snatch them out of people’s front yards.”
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Matthiessen said dogfighting has been a problem in Pasco County and other areas south of Hernando, but it appears to be “creeping up our way now.”
Matthiessen stated in a letter to County Commissioner Dave Russell that she has seen a constant stream of abused dogs coming into the department. One recent week, Matthiessen said, she came across two or three wounded dogs that appeared to have been used as bait dogs for illegal fighting.
Matthiessen recalled a Brooksville woman who said her 2-year-old dog was taken out of her fenced front yard. The woman never saw it again, Matthiessen said.
And for every dog that is found after its fighting career is over, another is destroyed and never recovered, she said.
Dogs like Davey who do make it to animal services, often are “too messed up mentally and are not adoptable anymore,” she said.
Matthiessen suggested the sheriff consider forming an undercover task force to investigate illegal dogfighting in Hernando County. “Whatever it takes, it has to end,” she said.
Sheriff Al Nienhuis said he appreciates Matthiessen’s concern for animals in Hernando County and is looking into the matter.
“Although her concerns certainly could be valid,” Nienhuis wrote in an email, “it is very difficult to differentiate between injuries that were sustained from organized dogfighting or training vs. injuries that were sustained from a territorial fight between two loose dogs.”
“Our investigation into this matter, however, is ongoing,” the sheriff wrote.
Dogfighting is a third-degree felony in Florida, punishable by a prison sentence of up to five years.
Scott Hechler, the county’s director of public safety, said the department often is hindered by a lack of money — a concern that will be addressed in a public safety strategic plan now under way.
“In the meantime, we are leveraging partnerships such as working with the High Point Volunteer Fire Department to hold an adoption event within their community,” said Hechler, who oversees Animal Services.
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Dogfighting gained national attention in 2007 when National Football League quarterback Michael Vick was arrested for his involvement in a dogfighting ring. After he served 19 months in prison, the NFL re-instated Vick and he now plays for the New York Jets.
Matthiessen said she is not sure if that incident helped bring awareness to dogfighting. “He (Vick) really didn’t suffer much for that; I don’t know if that really discouraged anybody.”
Richard Silvani, executive director of Pet Luv Nonprofit Spay and Neuter Clinic in Brooksville, said he plans to offer a reward to anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of someone involved in dogfighting.
Silvani said he was moved to action after Matthiessen spoke before county commissioners and her plea to combat the crime appeared largely to be dismissed.
“We all know that it’s going on in Hernando County, and we’re trying to figure out why nothing gets done,” he said. “It will be a lot of work and the sheriff’s department will have to get out there and there will have to be a commitment on the part of the state attorney’s office to prosecute these things.”
Rosenberger, meanwhile, is asking residents to report any suspicious activity in their neighborhoods to the sheriff’s office. For example, if someone sees two dogs acting aggressively toward each other or hears noises that might indicate dogfighting, call the sheriff, she said.
And, Rosenberger said, dog owners should keep a close eye on their pets. “You just have to be vigilant,” she said.
As for Davey, Rosenberger said she will do everything she can to find a home for him. But given his inbred aggressiveness, it might be difficult.
At least Animal Services was able to patch him up and show him affection during the past month, she said, and it’s probably more loving attention than he ever has received.
“I’m very happy he made it to us,” she said. “He was really beat up. He’s getting love and in his last movements he will know that he was loved.”
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