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Charges were announced Wednesday morning against a Chester County, Pa., couple accused of running a major dogfighting operation out of their home on Manor Road in West Brandywine.
Prosecutors say Shane Santiago and his wife were running the operation while their five children lived at the home. Officials say the couple raised pit bulls, trained them on treadmills and gave them steroid-type medicines to make them stronger. They then taught the dogs to kill other dogs, according to prosecutors.
Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan said the couple had the stronger dogs practice on weaker dogs. Dogfighters from other states allegedly came to their home and watched the dogs fight, often to the death. While the winning dogs were taken home, the losing dogs either died in the ring or were killed by the owners, according to prosecutors.
Hogan said officials recovered jumper cables with hair on them in Santiago’s basement. Santiago allegedly used the cables to electrocute the dogs.
"The dogs lived by one rule," said Hogan. "Fight and win, or die. At least 10 dogs died by defendant Shane Santiago’s hands, and countless more were maimed in these dogfights."
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Hogan said authorities were alerted to the possibility of dogfighting in the western part of Chester County when they received reports of dead and mutilated pit bulls along roadsides over the last few months.
Officials originally targeted Santiago as part of a drug operation, which eventually led them to the dogfighting connection, according to investigators. Santiago and his wife were both charged with animal cruelty and child endangerment. They are in custody.
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May I suggest clipping jumper cables to the guys jewels as a start of his punishment...trust me they are abusing their kids too...these type of people are the lowest of scum
I have no sympathy for animal abuse. Death by electrocution from jumper cables. We are STILL waiting on YOU lawmakers to make an example of scum like this!
More American trash.
Low class scum. Not surprising though.
Rick, totally agree. I'd love to volunteer to do the deed:) Hopefully the kids will be taken from them forever!
Also trash is trash no matter what the color!
They should be thrown to Hogs and eaten alive. Flip a coin for the one who gets to watch the other go first.
Take their children away and sterilize them. Anyone with no empathy for an animal who exemplifies loyalty shouldn't be allowed to influence a child.
No, give each of them a pen knife and lock them in a room together. Tell them that the one that survives gets to go free. Then shoot the one that comes out. These are not humans, they are trash.
In certain jurisdictions, there's a law that says if an AEO (Animal Enforcement Officer) removes an animal from a home for suspected animal cruelty, if they notice the presence or signs of children or vulnerable adults in the home they are required to report it to Social services so that Social services can follow up and if necessary remove said children/vulnerable adults from that home. There are plenty of studies that show that a person who abuses animals will more than likely turn to the children or dependent adult in the home once the animal is no longer present.
Animal lovers in my municipality have been trying to pass this law in our municipality for years now--it's been introduced every year when the state legislature goes into session. But there always seems to be something more urgent, and time runs out on the legislative session before the matter can come to a vote, and it's held over for the next legislative session.
Kill these two scums of the earth as well as anyone else that participates in dog fighting. How could anyone hurt, or in this case kill, helpless dogs? Humans never cease to amaze me.
amazing how quickly people reach for the vilest language they can think of when confronted with something they don't agree with. what's wrong with the human race is evidenced all on this message board. no wonder after thousands of years of war, there is still more yet to come.
Trust you? I'd rather put those jumper cables on your jewels.
Sorry, Jenny Wernerr, but we're not talking about someone doing "something" that most people don't agree with. This isn't a case of polygamy, or drug use, or home schooling, or anything like that. This is about abuse and violence directed towards a living, breathing thing (in this case, dogs) that couldn't defend itself. There's a huge difference.
@ common sense,
These folks are just trash plain and simple, there is a crap load like them of every nationality, no personal agenda needed. Whether they are fighting dogs, cocks, snakes, whatever, this cruel sport exist in every society whether we like it or not.
jenny, if you were a dog you'd have a completely different view which makes what you said extremely stupid. if these people want to see a fight there's plenty of legal types of fighting to watch where the participants are there of their own choice.
There are already too many of the "kill these basturds" posts. So I'm not going to do it. I actually feel sorry for these two and the low-lifes that frequent these mid-evil blood baths. How meaningless and empty does your life have to be to get your rocks off fighting and killing dogs? I still hate Michael Vick! Yeah, he served his time, yadda-yadda-yadda. But underneath it his insides are made up of the same slop that also makes up these two scumbags. There has to be tougher laws to hit these rat skanks where it hurts, like take their homes and land away.
Santiago? American? Who cares?
If we can elevate canines to the position of law enforcement officers and make it a felony to harm one of them; if we can have them become loving companions for the blind and handicapped; if they are now accepted in court rooms to stabilize the emotions of assault victims; if we can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to train them for the military; if we can bring them into our homes and love them as family members...
it is beyond time to give more than a slap on the wrist to the dredges of society like Michael Vick who torture and kill them for pleasure and profit. Vick should never have been allowed back on the field after what he did... should never have been allowed to enjoy fame and fortune in the public eye...
and he sure as hell should not be allowed to own another dog. The judge that said he can now be another dog owner should be disbarred.
Bluesman--you feel sorry for these two people but still hate Vick for the same thing? Wow!
I see Michael Vick's example & outreach work really helped stem the tide of dog fighting operations, so much so we've actually had an exponential uptick in the # of dogfighting cases in the Philly area over the past few years
sadly, the surge in these dog-fighting rings now includes children being directly involved in them
Re: Michael Vick. 2 years in a federal prison is a light sentence. If any of us "regular" folks had done the same thing, I seriously doubt all we'd get is 2 years.
Jen, this is not a matter of "not agreeing with", this is a matter of sadistic behavior that cannot be tolerated. It is ILLEGAL and a FELONY to stage dogfights in Pennsylvania. Sick, sick, sick.
"Bluesman--you feel sorry for these two people but still hate Vick for the same thing? Wow!"
Slick,
I should reiterate, I feel sorry that these dark souls share the same planet as us and I hate them ALL for what they are doing to these innocent creatures..............BETTER?
These two evil lowlife merde greatly resemble each other. Perhaps law enforcement will discover they are brother and sister, which would go toward explaining how each could have no humanity, no character, no ethics, no morals and a combined IQ of a graham cracker.
So when do the Eagles sign them?
I hope nobody is so unhinged as to seriously suggest invoking the death penalty for fighting or killing dogs.
Before you go to far down this road, best consider whence came the beef in the steak you may had for dinner. Cattle raised for meat, are castrated, kept in tight confinement, and fed steroids and foods intended to fatten them. Then they are slaughtered and rendered into fool, clothing and furniture.
But cows are cute, and they won't sleep at the foot of the bed.
I'm not saying this couple does not deserve prosecution, but not the death penalty.
My dog is cute but he doesn't sleep at the foot of my bed, thinks he has to have the pillow. :) It is awful to do the dog fighting, but we all need to take a breath. If the court doesn't give justice, God will in his own time. People don't get away with things, He always makes sure we pay, one way or another.
I suppose you are entitled to your opinion. Here is mine....
If anyone were to come to my home and deliberately and cruelly injure or kill either of my dogs or my horse, I would, in a cold, clear rage, kill them without remorse, and let the legal chips fall where they may.
If I walked upon someone doing to any canines what these pseudo humans were doing to these dogs, I would only hope, for their sake, I was not carrying my rifle. Sometimes, there is no way to rationalize the anger that comes from seeing the helpless and innocent being victimized, regardless of the species.
Thank-you, for allowing me to have my opinion.
Please, don't take your rifle down to the slaughter houses in Chicago, where "helpless and innocent" beings are victimized so that we Americans can have a Big Mac.
But, like I said, cows aren't cute, and they won't bring you the newspaper. They just stand around chewing grass and looking stupid.
I guess that makes it alright.
Do you wear leather shoes, screminmimi???
Wonder if they get out as quick as Michael Vick did? Bet they do not.
dman, the difference is how the animals are treated while they're alive. cows are forced to fight each other to the death and there is use of the dead animal when a cow is slaughtered. it says alot that you don't see a difference.
They DELIBERATELY tortured and killed these dogs. I don't care what kind of animal (or child) it is, but if I would witness such thing, no matter who, I would go nuts on them with anything I could grab. When is society going to wake up and when will laws be changed for harder punishment for these POS's? They prove they are not fit for society, a waste. We should treat them as such.
These two are the ultimate in trailer trash scum. They should lose their five children, all their assets and spend 30 years in prison, no chance for parole
I wish I could chain these two together at the neck and ankle and let them live the rest of their lives that way.
Why not? This is what they did - savagely and mercilessly - to these innocent animals. No punishment is too great for this absolutely atrocious behavior.
You and I never agree on anything, and this is no different.
Well, hate-hurter, I suspect you meant to write "cows are not forced to fight each other to the death...", correct?
As I mentioned once already, cows bread for beef, are castrated, if male, and typically spend the last several months of their lives confined in feed lots, where the each steer has between 125 and 250 square feet of space. When fattened sufficiently, its off to the slaughter house to become belts, shoes, furniture coverings and, of course hamburgers.
The fact that you don't see this as mistreatment says perhaps a little about you.
Castrated and penned-up and fed to obesity, followed by execution vs engaged in brutal fights with others of your species.
Which is worse?
Personally, I rather get chewed up in a real fight, then stand around eating all day until I'm fat enough for slaughter.
As to dead cows being of use after death, in some parts of the world they eat dog. But either way, dead is dead.
Like I said, how are dogs more innocent than cows, pigs, sheep and chickens?
Maybe if I could see the reasoning behind your opinion on this subject I would feel differently.
I hope they also get maimed and electrocuted! LOSERS!
No, they should have to work with animals. I'd recommend they work training guard dogs. And to keep the costs to taxpayers low - skip giving them the padded suits.
Or bind them, coat them in gravy, and lock them in a cage w/ the most vicious fighting dogs.
Once one has abused an animal they should NEVER be trusted near one again! (or children or vulnerable adults either.)
They should get trained on treadmills, injected, and then have to fight to the death. The winner gets to bury the loser and then gets electrocuted. Yup, sounds simple enough to me.
These people make my skin crawl! These crimes against animals need to have tougher punishments! Torturing an innocent helpless animal is discpicable! I say turn the dogs loose on these low lifes!
I can't even imagine how someone could look into a pup's eyes and then decide that dog should be trained to kill. And I'd like to know where they got the "practice" dogs.
These people shouldn't even be allowed to have an ant farm much less children and animals. What kind of abuse did those kids see or experience. Scary.
At a very young age, between 4 and 6 weeks old, a dogfighter will pick up a pup and hit it hard. If the puppy cries and cringes, they are deemed 'worthless' and set aside as bait dogs or practice dogs.
The pup who growls and tries to bite the hand that hit it is chosen as a fighting dog. That pup is separated from its mother at that point so that emotional isolation training and attachment aversion can begin--dogs are pack animals and the desire to please the alpha pack member is instilled in the pups between 5 and 8 weeks (that's why in most municipalities you aren't allowed to separate Mom and pups until 8 weeks.) Those last few weeks are crucial to a dog's developing the ability to develop emotional relationships. Without that, the dog becomes anti-social, a key ingredient in training it to attack another dog.
(I'm a longtime volunteer at a municipal inner-city animal shelter, and I also used to work as an Animal Enforcement dispatcher and as a VDHB (Vicious Dog Hearing Board) case recorder.)
OMG, Amanda, I hope you're wrong. If true, this is kept well-hidden from practicing veterinarians. This just breaks my heart...and I've practiced for many years.
The person who fights dogs is unlikely to have ever taken any of their dogs to see a vet. Mothers give birth at home; rabies shots and vaccinations are practically unknown; a severely injured dog's only 'doctor' is whatever the owner can cobble together or a bullet (or in some cases a baseball bat to the dog's head.
I recommend you volunteer some of your time to your local animal shelter if you want to get a good picture of what goes on--at our shelter we don't have the budget to keep a vet on staff, so we have four paid vet techs and rotating groups of students from the local veterinary school to come and work on our animals.
Local vets will donate their time in some cases, but if an animal comes in at 1 AM needing medical attention, the animal will be euthanized because there is simply no one available to render treatment. Likewise, many cases of animal cruelty in which a dead animal is removed from the premises never gets prosecuted as animal cruelty because there is no one qualified to do a necropsy (animal autopsy, for those unfamiliar with this term) and fill out affidavits and be prepared to appear in court testifying that the animal died of abuse.
We volunteers hate seeing these suffering animals in our shelter, but if an AEO brings in a cruelty case alive, we have a much better chance of prosecution. If the animal is dead there's little to no chance the owner, if one is known, will ever see the inside of a VDHB hearing room.
Rescue groups get a lot of attention and donations, but by and large it's the municipal Animal Control that is on the front lines and sees the worst cruelty cases. These are also the places that get the largest numbers of animals, the least number of volunteers, the smallest budget and the highest mortality rates--and that is why public opinion of animal control is so poor. And when public opinion is poor, the AC budget gets cut, and the mortality rate goes even higher. It's a cycle.
Crimes against animals? What's next crimes against bacteria? These are dogs. There are plenty of them and you can make more.
Grow a brain, then post!
Amanda, thank you for sharing this knowledge and your experience.
Jimboza: Oh yeah. Bozo is right! I hope you live alone because if this is out attitude about innocent dogs: "...plenty of them and you can make more." Then that is more than likely you think that way about children. You should be sterilized and have to wear a big sign that says - IDIOT!
Jimboza:
There is a statistically-proven, direct correlation between animal abuse/cruelty and human anti-social behavior leading to psychopathy. An inability to feel empathy and compassion for a helpless animal smaller/weaker than you is one of the first signs of serious personality disorders, the most acute of which become indications of serial killers. Practically every serial killer in history started out abusing and killing wildlife, dogs and cats, then graduated to children and adult human beings.
If you cannot find it in yourself to be appalled at this treatment of a helpless animal unable to defend itself, then perhaps you could find some small bit of emotion when that someone kills a child?
After all, by your reasoning there are plenty of them and you can always make more.
Jimboza, You are the people who say "It's just a dog", and toss puppies to drowned in a pond.
Amanda, how do you stay sane? I have the utmost respect for people, such as yourself, that give their time, money and hearts to the voiceless. Thank you.
Staying sane is not a difficult as restraining oneself from killing the sorry bastards who do this...and who, IMO, are only one very short step up the "absolute waste of skin" list of bastards who run puppy mills.
A "responsible breeder" once told me that dog breeding wasn't for the faint of heart. What I told her would without question forever get me banned here.
Skyparrot:
It's not for everyone. A lot of people come to the shelter with the intent to volunteer, but we're not like the Humane Society or the SPCA who can afford to 'sanitize' and show volunteers only the joys. If you come to volunteer at our shelter, you're going to see the joys as well as the heartbreaks. Bu there are many, many memorable moments, both good and bad.
Ther was the evening a woman pulled into the shelter parking lot just at closing time and nearly hit the bush in the front of the building. She pulled down the back tailgate of her truck and there was a dog there. Pit-type, looked like a fighting dog, to judge from the scars on his face and head and the chopped ears. We figured later he must have lost a fight and his owner doused him with battery acid and chucked him out of a car n the middle of the highway. This woman was driving down the highway and saw the dog thrashing around in the road, picked him up (ignoring the blood everywhere) and brought him in. By that time, however, the battery acid had eaten into his fur, muscle, and tendon, and he could no longer even stand.
We called the local news crew to come out and film this dog so we could hopefully get the public's help--someone had to have seen this dog get thrown out of a moving car during rush hour! But the news people refused to photograph the dog--they'd gotten complaints from parents about airing graphic pictures of animal cruelty and asked us to pick out another dog from the shelter of the same color and type to parade in front of the camera. We suspect this is why we never got leads, tips, anything--people didn't see anything wrong with the dog on TV and assumed it wasn't as bad as the reporter made it sound. (But at least no childrens' delicate sensibilities were offended.)
But we get sucess stories too, and not just the animal kind. We had a program whereby children from the local juvenile hall (incarcerated for non-violent crimes) would come and help around the shelter--dishes, laundry, lost and found reports, contacting rescues--and we got this one boy in. He was incorrigible No one liked him, no one wanted to work with him, had a major attitude. Animals loved him but the humans didn't.Then one day early a garbage truck pulled into our parking lot and this huge six-foot five sanitiation worker staggered in carrying this enormous metal safe with a padlock and chain wrapped around it. He said when he picked it up he'd heard whimpering. When we finally got it open, there was a litter of pitbull puppies inside--all dead except one (it was a day where it was 80 in the shade, that all-metal safe was like an oven.) The sanitation worker begged us to save this one last puppy. The kid begged too. We promised to do our best, but stressed that we had a limited budget and there were no guarantees.
After that day there was nothing that kid wouldn't do around the shelter. He understood that the more hands we had to help the more money could go to the animals, and he begged Juvie to let him come on the weekends too. The puppy was the first thing he saw when he came in every morning, and the last thing he saw every evening when he left, and whenever the sanitation worker stopped by to see the dog he'd ask the kid how the dog was doing. They struck up a friendship--for the first time the kid met an adult who didn't treat him like he was a worthless piece of trash and respected him.
The puppy survived, the sanitation worker adopted him as soon as he turned eight weeks, and he and the kid both volunteered around the shelter to help pay the puppy's medical bills. The kid got out of juvie, went back to school, and studied hard, got straight A's, and that following summer he asked our shelter director for a recommendation letter so he could go to vet school and learn to be a vet. Currently he's renting a room from the sanitation worker, gets to see the puppy he helped save every day, and still volunteers. He's a totally different person than the kid who came to us from the juvie work program, and I wish the city hadn't cut the funding for that program.
Then there was Snowbound--and I got myself suspended for that one. Snowbound was a small Husky mix, five years old, lived her entire life with an elderly couple who finally passed away and she came to the shelter, terribly confused. She'd been used to a quiet, sedentary life, and was completely unprepared for the frenetic pace of the shelter, so when we put her up for adoption we specified that she should go to a quiet home. A woman came in, had two children, about twelve, said she had a small apartment and didn't entertain many visitors, and Snowy got along well with her and her two children at the meet-and-greet, so she was allowed to adopt Snowy and take her home. I was working on Animal Control dispatch that night and got the call from the woman screaming that this dog was growling and snapping at everyone and could AC come get Snowy. I sent an AEO right out. Turned out the woman lived with a boyfriend who had three late-teen sons of his own, and all three of the kids and the boyfriend had arrest records for drug distribution--they had buyers coming and going out of the apartment all the time.
Snowy was returned, and because she was growling and snapping, she was labeled as aggressive and scheduled for euthanasia. I came in that morning and was escorting a guy and his friend throguh the shelter--the friend was local and wanted to adopt, the guy--'Brian'--was just tagging along, but the minute he saw her he fell in love. I took her out of her kennel and had them do a meet-n-greet, and she melted all over him. Only when I took him back to the front desk did we find out she was unadoptable for aggression issues and was scheduled for euthanasia.
Brian argued STRENUOUSLY...said the only reason she showed aggression was the hectic pace of the other adopter's home. He had a nine-acre spread the next state over, was an engineer with a 9-5 job, bachelor, early 50's, one grown daughter in med school, didn't entertain, think he said he was an ex-military K9 handler. Finally the shelter director told him we would hold off on the euthanasia request until we consulted the Board of Directors.
The next day he was back. Sat on the floor in front of her cage, talking to her, tossing her treats, getting her used to his voice. He sat there for four hours. And then he did this the next day. And the next. And the next. He had a weeks' vacation from work and he spent four hours of each day siting in front of her cage talking to her. And at the end of the week the board decided he could adopt her provided he signed a waiver of liability that woiuld indemnify us if she bit him. He did, and took her home. We still get Christmas cards from both of them each year; she loves going hunting with him, and his only complaint is that she snores and hogs too much of the bedcovers!
I got suspended from animal work for a week for not paying attention to her kennel card that said she was unadoptable and scheduled for euthanasia. I spent the week cleaning cat litter pans--and didn't care at all. I did what I did because I felt I had to, and while I realize that I was lucky she DIDN'T bite him and that it all turned out ok, if I had to do it all over again I wouldn't have done anything different.
I think I've rambled on too long. I just wanted to make it clear that yes, working in an animal shelter has its downs, but also has its ups, and the joys balance the sorrows. Every animal you work with touches you, and even the bad stuff you see makes you a stronger, better, more empathetic person. I can honestly say I am a far, far better person now after years of volunteering there than I was before, and I strongly recommend it for everyone who can handle it.
God bless you, Amanda-2017567!
We adopted our boxer/lab (Boxador) mix as a three-month old puppy two years ago this coming March. What a great animal - we never wanted to go to a pet store to buy a dog - we went to a rescue and, as they say, "who saved who?"
www.save-animals.org was the organization in Princeton, NJ. They do good work.
KILL these two!!!!!
does this place have moderators at all? i'm sure if this was a comment from some republican it would be quickly sanitized from the site.
You first.
Jenny Wernerr, I'm flagging your comment as "no value," for dragging off-topic politics into this discussion about horrific dog fighting.
Jenny:
Comments are collapsed by the public who read the comment, decide either they don't like it, don't agree with it, or don't like the language used to express the sentiment in the post. At the bottom of each post are two boxes, one with an up arrow and one with an exclamation point. If you like someone's post, you click the up arrow. If you don't like the post, you click the exclamation point to vote 'nothing of value to add to the conversation'. Enough people clicking the exclamation point, and the post will be 'collapsed by the community.'
A message thread that has a lot of collapsed posts will attract moderator attention, who will then review collapsed posts and determine if the post does not add anything to the discussion and allows it to remain collapsed, or decides to restore it. If the author of a specific post is outstandingly rude, vulgar, or profane they can be suspended for varying lengths of time. Someone who has been suspended multiple times and still not learned the lesson will be banned.
That being said, I am voting your post as 'having nothing of value to contribute to the discussion.'
How do you know who is Republican - or not - based on a post? You are ass-um-ing, right?
I say we put both of them in a cage with a couple of weapons and let them fight and "win or die". If they don't start fighting, we give them electrical shocks.
When you don't give weapons death will inevitebly be painful and slow. The way it sould be for these two.
Wonder if they will get the same as Mike Vic? I hope much worse, he got off easy.. Poor kids and dogs...
Vick got 18 months, plus or minus. Not too bad but I would not want ONE day in prison. I'm physically small so I wouldn't last a day.
Get the same thing as Mike Vic? You mean a multimillion dollar contract from the NFL?
The NFL is a prime example of why stuff like this keeps going on. They set a bad example as they have in dozens if not hundreds of other cases. The NFL needs to clean house but instead the fans are still buying their overpriced product. What kind of example does that set?
Michael Vick did more time in jail for the drugs than he dd for the dogs he killed. The only consolation in that whole God-awful mess was watching the dogs go from terrified, traumatized beings to well-balanced well-adjusted, happy dogs.
One of our local rescues was privileged to be one of the ones selected to take in a few of Vick's dogs. We were all emotionally involved in the rehabilitation process--even if we weren't personally involved.
Vick should have never gotten another NFL contract after what he did. AND HE SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO HAVE A DOG NOW!!!!!
Unfortunately, the judge has said that Vick has completed his probation period and is not allowed to have a dog.
But he does have one now.
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/10/michael-vick-has-a-new-dog/
Michael Vick says yes, we have a dog:
http://www.tmz.com/2012/10/11/michael-vick-dog/
they aren't high profile people with "big money" so I doubt they'll get as little time as Mike Vick. Only one could hope for life for these two scumbags!
I feel that people that can do this to animals should be put in jail, for life. I do not even dare to imagine what these people would be capable of in regards to humans. I agree that they are most likely abusing their own children....
The human race has a very distinct and separate sub-species that are unimaginable bastards. I don't know from where they came or how they arrived but, as a human, if there was another race, I'd join it. It's as if these "humans" aren't really human.
I cannot imagine the intolerable suffering these animals endured.
They're called sociopaths...incapable of empathy.
Annie, They aren't human, they are vicious, vile, evil monsters! We need to make an effort to do away with such monsters who obviously care nothing about humanity.
If legislators would do what they are hired by the American public do to--that is to make laws that work to benefit the people they represent and to protect those--including animals--that live at our mercy--maybe these types of incidents would stop. However, our senators and representative do nothing but collect their pay and play their political games instead of passing legislation that matters! People who do what this couple has done do not deserve the rights they will receive as they go through the legal system. They are subhuman and worthless.
There will always be those who will find some way around the system, and people who will support them (like the people who bet on the dogfights).
But the caveat to that is that the American people are not voting out these legislators and politicians who do nothing about the issue.
A couple months back, right before the election, Iowa Representative Steve King said that if it was legal to take your kid to a wresting match or a boxing match, then it should be legal to take them to a dogfight. He asserted that there was no difference between the two and anyone who would put animal welfare over human welfare had their priorities mixed. Despite outrage by animal lovers everywhere, the guy did get re-elected--and a law that says it is illegal to take your kids to a dogfight will most likely not pass in Iowa.
So you can't just blame the legislators--if the people don't elect candidates who reflect the same values you do, then this will never be noticed as an issue of concern for a given politician's constituency.
Interesting that he's a Republican.....although with the GOP's track record of not giving a rat's rear end about their fellow man, I don't know why I would expect them to treat animals any better.
I deliberately didn't mention that he's a Republican because I personally think that it's what you think and believe that defines you, not what political party you are or what you call your God or whatever other nonsense human beings call each other. And because I want people who are curious about the comment to go find the video of his comments and come to their own conclusions without my influencing them one way or another.
That being said...I don't vote, but if I did, it sure wouldn't be for a Republican platform.
Hook these two up to the cables and fry them!!!!!!!!!! What a heartless couple of slime balls. May they rot in hell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For once I am speechless. These two people are not humans they don't deserve that title. To torture any living creature is despicable. I feel for the children and my heart hurts for the animals who had to undergo this cruel treatment and death.
Throw the book at these scumbags! Parents teaching their kids to abuse dogs. The parents should be hooked up to the electric cables that they used on the dogs. FRY THEM IN THE SAME MANNER THEY DID THE POOR DOGS!!!!!
The sad part is that most "books" of laws only treat animal abuse as a misdemeanor with pretty mild punishments such as fines and short stays in jail. It's up to the people in the communities and states to get those laws changed to reflect that severe cases of animal abuse should be felonies and should contain larger and longer punishments.
These two people have demonstrated, there are those who can abuse, torture and horrible mutilate another creature.Be it human or beast, and not let it bother them in the least. There is a fine line between human and animal.The capacity to move from animal to human is very thin.
What these two have demonstrated, is they have a mentality for violence and torture. And really need to be locked up and kept away from society permanently.The chances unfortunately of that happening are slim. For once having demonstrated the ability to torture, mutilate and kill those who are helpless, one is not capable of empathy and remorse. As another mentioned, they likely have abused their kids as well, who hopefully will be removed.
There needs to be far more severe punishments for crimes against animals.Those who make laws realize the very real connection between abusing animals and later humans. However they are busy with other matters that seem more important, which money tells them to pursue. Without the public interest to push for change,such abuses like this will continue. Caring people must be the voice, for those innocent animals who have none.
For all those commenting who say these two should be tortured and other horrible things done to them, I am just disgusted. To those who say they would stand by and watch or even do it themselves, I am almost speechless. Who on earth has that kind of capacity to be able to torture any living creature? After all that is what these two are charged with. The only thing that separates the civilized person from the animal is how we control our passions and use reason. When we let our passions rule our mind, disaster often results. Rarely is justice found in such an atmosphere. This couple needs to be sent to prison for a long time. Sinking to their level is to lose the human part inside of one. We are not animals, and must never act like vicious ones.
I am sitting with my chihuahua, Yoda, curled up next to me. I have always had big dogs until 3 years ago after my beautiful Lady, a Labrador Retriever, died. I had a heart attack a week later. After I came home from the hospital, I missed my Lady so much. I finally went to a rescue and asked them for a dog, any age, any breed, as long as it was under ten pounds. They brought out Yoda, a 3 year old, 9 pound Chihuahua who had been abandoned on the street. He leaped into my lap. I looked at the staff and said, He's coming home with me. I went home after buying Yoda this gorgeous bed, toys galore, and a wardrobe of coats, sweaters and outfits that had me hysterical laughing. Yoda is my buddy and EVERYONE says he's the best little dog ever. How anyone can hurt an animal who only wants to love you is beyond me. The laws need to be changed to protect the animals we bring into our homes. I take better care of my Yoda and Patches the hamster than some people do with their children. My daughter grew up with dogs, cats and hamsters. She was taught to treat them gently. How these people could harm living things tells me they shouldn't be allowed to care for children. These are sick, sick people. If we don't enforce animal protection laws this will never change. I hate people like this.
They always love to put this type of crap about how pit bulls are dangerous etc...
how about they publish something like this:
These two fools deserve to be shocked and then shocked again until there death. I dont wish death upon anybody but when it comes to poor helpless animals or any one that gets treated like that they deserve what they get. May you rot in hell you jerks.
Thing is, these scumbags will only be in lockup for so long. They'll eventually be out on the streets again someday.
Put 'em down *NO BAIL* (remove permanently from free society.) Find permanent appropriate homes for the children. These individuals should never again enjoy liberty and freedom in any society.
make a severe example out of these two - the michael vick sentence was not severe enough!!
I am firm believer in an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth; I beleive this whole crew should be shocked and shocked again then they know how it feels to be tormented to the death. Then leave to rot in hell. I don't any body or anything should have to suffer they way these animals do or even small children for that matter but karma has a way of biting the evil in the butt. . So in closing remember " What comes around goes around" and I hope they get theres. Rot in your jail cells... Scums..
Seeing how they treat the dogs, I'm curious how they treat their children. I think the kids should be taken away. Clearly they are not fit to even take care of a goldfish.
They have no respect for life whether it be animal or human. Breeding and training dogs to fight in the same place where their children live. Real nice. Dirtbags!!!
You could have stopped at 'breeding and training dogs to fight'. To me them doing it where their children live makes it no worse. Dirtbags either way.
I wonder what their home life is like with the 5 kids? Do they say, "Be kind to each other. Treat each other like you would like to be treated. Have good manners. Respect your elders."
The article says that the adults are in custody. Doesn't say where the kids are now. I hope they're not with the relatives who taught the adults the "how to" in the first place.
Lets not forget about all the other scum that came to the fights with their dogs. Would not have a Pitt bull dog but would not harm one either.
Mistreating animals is as low as a human being can sink.
As the owner of a pit-bull mix I am obligated to say, the only thing that makes a Pit-bull a good fighting dog (besides a strong bite) is that they will do ANYTHING to please their master ... that includes fighting to the death.
... that also includes curling up and watching TV all night, if that is what their master wants them to do. Pit-bulls are THE most loyal, faithful dogs you can have. If I could have only one dog, I would not want any other breed.
I had a pit bill back in the 90s. He was the sweetest, smartest dog I have ever had. His pack mentality made him very protective of anyone in our family. If a stranger approached me on the street while I was walking him, he always positioned himself between the stranger and myself, but never got aggressive. He really did not do anything without a command. You could set a piece of steak on his nose and he would not eat it until given the okay. These people take that loyalty and turn it into an atrosity. There is a spot in hell reserved for those involved with dog fighting.
@smilingphoebs.... Thank you for your post. I am so tired of people saying Pitbulls are dangerous. In Florida they have made them illegal to own. They are sweet dogs. Protective as you say but it is all in the upbringing.
This couple should be treated as poorly and as abusive as they treated the dogs. I couldn't even finish reading the article i was so angry. To think they have five children!
People are dangerous. Pits simply do as they are taught.
i live in san diego and dog fighting here is widespread and of course well hidden. i have asked people who live in the suspected areas if they know of dog fighting in their neighborhoods and they do know who and where but won't talk. we need people to report these crimes. in some areas it's a cultural thing and an accepted form of entertainment. no different than casino gambling to them. humane societies and animal control needs more funds to infiltrate this very organized dog fighting ring. you can help--report any information you have and donate to local humane society. if you see a scarred animal report it--most likely the scars are from dog fighting.
I can think of a few things I would love to do with their jumper cables.
I have to laugh..
Tale as old as time
True as it can be
Barely even friends
Then somebody bends
Unexpectedly
Just a little change
Small, to say the least
Both a little scared
Neither one prepared
Beauty and the Beast
I feel sorry for the dogs. They dont ask for this but they know history better than humans. Dog fighting is 1000nds of years old. IF you are interested in it being ended, guess what, it starts with HUMANS getting along FIRST.. and we are soooo far away from getting along that dog fighting is gonna be around for a few more centuries. The year I can read the news and find ZERO hate crimes is the first year towards the end of "dog abuse". Till that year, I'll laugh whenever I see an article about one of the earths oldest past times and all of the "hatred" the articles create.
that's all you really can do. it is actually quite funny the vitrol from the "lovers." probably one of the only time white people will advocate for punishments along the lines of minorities.
Jenny--unfortunately you are right. Had there been pictures of minorities up there instead of whites, there would be 10x the comments and even more creative evil ways to bring the perps to their end. Happens all the time...
Understand me very well:
I do not give a flying rat's ass whether these people, and people like them, are black, white, red, yellow, or green with two heads. I would cheerfully gut them with absolutely no regard for race or creed.
Who cares what they look like? They obviously are sociopaths. Kill them.
The poor animals were notat fault. These s.o.b.'s need to be punished so bring them to an open square, announce it and we who love animals will be there to make sure justice is carried out. It would make an example of what happens to — — — tards that harm these beautiful creatures.