Savapet is right on the money!  Why would anyone bother reporting a potential dog fighting organization?  I am no detective but anyone that has thirteen pit bull dogs, three of whom have injuries that indicate fighting, that tells me that guess what.....it’s probably a dog fighting ring.  Why in the world would the officials return the dogs?  Who was providing veterinary care for these animals?  This is a tragedy.  I appreciate the tremendous media coverage.  Now if the local humane officials would get off their rumps and be more aggressive, maybe things would improve.

It’s no wonder people in our community don’t report dog fighting.  Why bother?  I have and nothing ever came of it.  The guy had to pay a fine for having too many dogs on his property.  Big whoo!  And now look - 13 pits are seized - 3 of which are injured, one severely - and the humane officials just hand them back to their captors.  How sad.  When are the authorities going to wake up and do something?

Or perhaps, you could commit a murder, since you have no regard for life. If this is such a big money thing and other illegal activities are involved, it looks like investigators would be beating the streets to find these people and follow up on reports instead of giving people the run around when they make a report. By blowing off reports, not following through and in some cases telling people who have made the reports blatant lies, people may throw their hands up and give up on trying to do the right thing. When this happens, those who are supposed to be protecting the animals are just as guilty as the abusers by sheer negligence.

If you can sit and watch a dog fight, you could sit and watch a murder.  This is a sick, cruel sport and more people should report it.  We need stronger laws and harsher punishments and maybe some of these thugs could find another way to make a living.

Yes, I am the person that reported a possible (obvious) dog fighting ring to the SPCA the day following a WKRG news report.  I saw with my own two eyes, a dead or injured pit bull in the driveway of a home in north Mobile county.  The neighbors had been reporting this for years and years and nothing was ever done.  When I called the SPCA I was told that they didn’t take those reports to call a county shelter.  They give me a phone number that was disconnected.  This was obviously an organized dog fighting ring.  All of the signs were present and the neighbors had witnessed it for years and complained about it and all this person got was a fine for having too many dogs on the premises.  Now of course, the dogs have been moved.  Whoopi Goldberg said that dog fighting is a natural part of southern culture and heritage.  My response to Ms. Goldberg is that slavery was too, but that doesn’t make it right.  Dog fighting is a brutal and cruel sport and its promoters and spectators should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

Way to go Santa Rosa County on the arrest of a dog-fighter! While every other county in the viewing area seems to have a grasp on how to handle animal cruelty, including dog-fighting, Mobile is sorely behind. Perhaps there are too many agencies, all vying for the same revenues. Perhaps we need to have a centralized agency or have this become a law enforcement issue. Something needs to change, as the current system is failing. When animals almost die, while supposedly under the investigation of SPCA who says they are fine, or people who have 20-30 pit bulls are fined for “too many animals,” yet other signs are there as well, then the dogs moved-that should tell you something!

Ms. Curth,

Your report, as well as Mr. Petrie’s earlier report on this subject was excellent. I appreciate all the hard work that you do and appreciate your concern and compassion related to the animals of Mobile County. Please continue with these reports. I would urge anyone who has concerns about dog-fighting or any other form of animal cruelty to contact law enforcement and the appropriate shelter. The process in Mobile is tiresome, as you get the run around from every angle-there is no centralized system of reporting cruelty-but persevere, and hopefully an animal will be saved.

Blowing smoke is about the extent of it. I fully agree with what everyone has already said. It is so easy to talk big and make it seem like you do such a wonderful job, but where is the proof? Where are the prosecutions? I know of possibly one coming down the pipes, only because after unsuccessful attempts to get something done about a puppy mill, a young lady contacted me because she had heard I was trying to get the system changed, tougher laws etc. She had called SPCA to no avail, but when she contacted the DA’s office per my urging, the ball began to roll. And the part about Ms. Flott saying they had had several leads that didn’t pan out about dog-fighting since the Micheal Vick case, am I mistaken, or didn’t someone say they had tried to report a dog fighting ring to the SPCA the day after the last story and were told by Ms. Flott or another employee that “they don’t handle that.” That one was in the bag for them, I believe, and they dropped it. Now the dogs are moved to who knows where. Typical.

If more people in our community would simply realize that animal abuse (dog fighting included) is intolerable and abnormal, perhaps more cases would be reported and prosecuted.  As long as dog fighting is swept under the rug and deemed a natural part of the southern male culture, it will remain in existence.  It is NOT an acceptable part of any culture, southern or otherwise and if someone suspects it, they need to contact the police, the district attorney - even post it on this site or contact the media - something - just take action.  This can be done anonymously.  Dog fighters are criminals and should face the legal consequences of their actions.  Michael Vick and this more recent local case is simply the tip of a much larger iceberg.  As private citizens, we have the obligation to report it and as officials, the police and the animal cruelty investigators should be obligated to investigate and prosecute those cases, not just blow smoke on the morning news.

I agree, peachieblue, we need consistent investigation, enforcement AND prosecution. I, personally, have called in numerous cases of abuse and neglect in Mobile County--only to be told that “everything is fine.” Dozens of people have called me to complain about inaction on complaints that they’ve reported. It is only in recent weeks, since people have gotten up at arms about the lack of investigation, that we are now seeing these cases brought to public attention. So if you report a case and don’t get a result, the next step in the chain is to call the District Attorney’s office and make sure that you get the ear of someone in charge and not a receptionist.