Vacant Youngstown houses harbor dog fights

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The deputy dog warden said police have several suspects.

By PATRICIA MEADE

VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER

YOUNGSTOWN — Vacant houses on the East Side are luring dog-fight promoters who then dump carcasses of ravaged dogs in the streets like trash.

"Dog fights are very secretive; [promoters] will go to vacant houses like these," Deputy Dog Warden Dave Nelson said Tuesday as he stood outside a ramshackle house at 2545 Wardle Ave. "It's big business, a lot of money bet. They usually set up a pit in the basement and let the dogs battle to death then throw them out on the side of the road."

Nelson said evidence of dog fights was found at 2545, 2606 and 2633 Wardle. All three vacant houses are wide open, filled with trash, broken glass and animal feces. The front yard at 2606 is also littered with old tires.

"It's a dumping ground out here for dogs," he said of the sparsely populated street dotted with woods. "Sad, very sad."

Patrolman John Hull II, who came across the remains of a mutilated pit bull on Atkinson Avenue on Monday, notified Nelson. Hull, in describing the animal's wounds, said they were consistent with dog fighting.

More carcasses

Nelson found more dog carcasses on Atkinson, a block or so away from Wardle. He said people who live in the area don't want to get involved; they fear what could happen from men who would treat defenseless dogs with such cruelty.

Hull said the house at 2545 Wardle has about 4 feet of standing water in the basement, which poses a drowning risk for children and breeding ground for mosquitos. He passed on to the housing department a recommendation that the structures be demolished.

Nelson said he and Deputy Dog Warden Sean Toohey, while picking up strays, have come across 20 to 30 dead dogs — mixed breeds and pit bulls — in the past few weeks on the South and East sides with telltale signs of fight wounds.

Nelson said he and police have several suspects. He said dog fighting is a felony. Nelson said the plan is to bring in investigators from Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann's office to assist in the investigation.

Members of a multistate dog-fighting ring were indicted last month in Dayton federal court. The investigation was led by a task force created and supported by the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, part of Dann's office.

"Dog fighting is not a sport; it's cruelty," Gregory Lockhart, assistant U.S. attorney, said after the indictment. "The investigation uncovered evidence that the operation also served as a breeding ground for illegal drug and gun activity that reaches across state lines."

Dann, commenting on the investigation, said last month that those who engage in this barbaric bloodsport are not just dog fighters, they are people who perpetuate gambling, drug use and violence. He said ringleaders will be prosecuted, and spectators should be aware that no type of animal fighting will be tolerated in Ohio.

meade@vindy.com

Wednesday, April 11, 2007