Milwaukee: Dog Fighting Operation Busted

[paradoxia]

Exclusive: Dog Fighting Operation Busted

MILWAUKEE – Police have busted a suspected dog fighting operation in Milwaukee.

The accused ring leader now faces some serious charges.

Steve Blackmon was in court at the Milwaukee County Courthouse Thursday.

Police searched his home and say they found several injured dogs, plus evidence of a dog fighting ring. Some of that evidence: dogs with cut up faces, and half a dozen cages and fighting rings.

Investigators say it all points to a dog fighting operation Blackmon named "Grim Reaper Kennels." He allegedly ran the operation out of his basement.

The director at Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control says it's an all too common problem.

“It's certainly grown. It's grown nationwide,” Melanie Sobel said.

Click on the link under related content to see an interview with Sobel.

Animal Control rescued six adult pit bulls and five puppies. According to the criminal complaint, “at least two of the dogs had heavy scaring and recent injury to the head and front leg areas."

“A lot of times they are brutalized,” Sobel said.

Police found the suspected fight ring when they busted Blackmon for allegedly running a drug house.

He also faces drug charges.

Sometimes the dogs will be put up for adoption but unfortunately in this situation all 11 dogs and puppies were euthanized.

Blackmon will be back in court in November.

Animal Control says it’s hard to place these dogs in a good home because they've been trained to fight since they were puppies.


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Milwaukee has some screwy regulations, but I don't understand why they were so quick to euthanize these animals. Charges against the owner are pending, but he hasn't been convicted. Typically aren't the animals held as "evidence?"

[The Bat]

That is so F'd up that they don't even evaluate the dogs!!! GRRRR!

There was a similar bust in Montgomery Alabama yesterday. The video on the news page said the dogs will be evaluated for adoption.

http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp...0&nav=menu33_3

Give these poor dogs a CHANCE!

[DJ Meliquoi]

That last dog in the pictures was really pretty. I hope they are properly assesed, pass and end up in loving homes.

I was reading the comments on that site about the incident. Theres some chick on there trying to defend these assholes by saying that the animals were properly cared for because there was a fan in their pen!?! Anyone who runs dog fighting dosnt care about the animals IMO.

[The Bat]

Originally Posted by DJ Meliquoi

That last dog in the pictures was really pretty. I hope they are properly assesed, pass and end up in loving homes.

I was reading the comments on that site about the incident. Theres some chick on there trying to defend these assholes by saying that the animals were properly cared for because there was a fan in their pen!?! Anyone who runs dog fighting dosnt care about the animals IMO.

Agreed! Dog fighters are scum. Why the F did they need to have those puppies on logging chains? WTF???

[DJ Meliquoi]

Yea I saw that. Its sad, those puppies didnt look too happy. I saw a terrible video about dog fighting in England. This one scumbag was actually holding infant puppies, Id say maybe 2 months old by their scruffs trying to make them fight. It was horrible, it made me cry.....Dog fighting really needs to come to an end.

What the F^CK happened to "man's best friend?" My dogs have stood by me through numerous b!tches!! haha

But seriously...these BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP need to come down here to Georgia and play that sh!T.

And yes why so soon to jump the gun and kill dogs? I better stop before I get going on a tangent.

[ravensrun65]

Originally Posted by robhamilton

What the F^CK happened to "man's best friend?" My dogs have stood by me through numerous b!tches!! haha

But seriously...these BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP need to come down here to Georgia and play that sh!T.

And yes why so soon to jump the gun and kill dogs? I better stop before I get going on a tangent.

The unfortunate part is, dog fighting is everywhere, the inner city, the suburbs, and the rural areas. No state is unaffected. The south seems to be a breeding ground for it, law enforcement is spread thin, not enough man power to take on cases, and even worse, they don't press charges. And legislation is lacking in some states. And other states, the law is written in a manner that makes it hard to prosecute the cases.
In no way, shape or form am I defending dog fighting. I have my own twisted ideas as to what should be done to those that own, breed, train animals for fighting. But then I'd be in prison a very long time. Teach the kids now that animals are not for profit, that they feel as we do and maybe we can see an end to it all. Compassion and empathy for animals seems to be on a decline in this day and age...Thankfully there are people like Brandon, Atlanta Pitbull Rescue, Villa Lobos and others that show the world the other side. To show the world these furbabies are just that, furbabies. They are what they are taught to be. And they can be retaught love, how to be a family member, that not all humans are heartless.
It's beyond me, how people that are suppose to protect animals are the ones that don't even attempt to find rehabilitation for these animals. These are the people that make me so ashamed to be of the same species!

[paradoxia]

Originally Posted by ravensrun65

They are what they are taught to be. And they can be retaught love, how to be a family member, that not all humans are heartless. It's beyond me, how people that are suppose to protect animals are the ones that don't even attempt to find rehabilitation for these animals. These are the people that make me so ashamed to be of the same species!

Exactly! I wish more people understood that. And, with love and patience, even an animal that has been mistreated can be rehabilitated and learn to trust people again. I guess that's why I posted this topic in the first place. I was so shocked and horrified to learn that the animals, including puppies, found in Milwaukee were euthanized so quickly. It's heartbreaking what "people" are capable of, and it really upset me that when help was called the animals in this case didn't even get a chance. I volunteer at a no-kill that takes on a lot of abuse cases. It's amazing to see "crazy, unadoptable" animals transform into some of the sweetest dogs I've ever known.