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Dior is one of the survivors from the Bronx
dogfighting ring and is need of a forever home
More than one year and one month after a dogfighting ring was broken up in the Bronx last June, the six men involved in the ring will go to trial. At the most recent hearing at the Bronx Criminal Court House on Wednesday, a trial date was set for July 28, 2009.
Police arrested seven men from the Bronx and New Jersey, including suspected ringleader Alexander Estephane, who lives in the building where the bust took place.
The other defendants in the case who will stand trial along with Estephane are Lauritz Acoy, Israel Cuevas, Juan Toledo, and Alterik Mason. The sixth suspect, Rashaan Johnson, is believed to be AWOL and has not showed up to court for any of the hearings.
Estephane, Toldeo and Acoy have received felony charges for dogfighting while Cuevas and Mason have misdemeanor charges as spectators. All five defendants have no chance at a plea deal. If proven guilty in a court of law, they will subsequently be charged with the maximum crimes.
When it comes to dogfighting penalties, New York State ranks 48 out of 50, and is therefore considered one of the most lax on its dogfighting laws.
- Dogfighting: Felony, maximum of 4 years and a $25,000 fine
- Spectator at a dogfight: Misdemeanor with a maximum of 1 year and a $1,000 fine
- Posession of dogs for fighting: Maximum of 1 year and a $15,000 fine
The upcoming trial on July 28th is an important date for New York City and for dogs. The trial is open to the public, so please come out and show your support for these voiceless victims.
For more info: http://stopdogfightingnownyc.wetpaint.com/?mail=1136
Comments
If we increase the costs of fines, lengthen prison sentences and force offenders to house for life and/or rehabilitate the animals perhaps these thugs might think twice about participating in this bloody murder.
first of all "murder"by definition involves HUMANS, not dogs. I know so many of you overly emotive, anthropomorphic fanatics get that wrong, but it is so.
second, you really want to ruin people's entire lives over a dog fighting another dog? Child molesters aren't looked on as badly by you nuts.
there's a lot in life that involves blood, sweat and/or tears, for humans and animals, not the least of which is your dinner table.
hypocrites.
'Petlover' says that may of us are hypocrites and he/she is correct in that statement but murder is not exclusive to humans (note example number two):
From www.m-w.com
1 : the crime of unlawfully killing a person especially with malice aforethought
2 a : something very difficult or dangerous <the traffic was murder> b : something outrageous or blameworthy <getting away
with murder>
It’s foolish to play semantics’ when we’re speaking of lives. Yes I eat meat but I’m aware of my own personal hypocrisies and work to better myself though diet change but that doesn’t stop dog fighting, cock fighting, SPORT FIGHTING.
Taking a life is taking a life. It’s as simple as that. Period.
ncluding specific questions in posts definitely helps get higher numbers of comments. I find that when I include questions in my headings that it is a particularly effective way of getting a response from readers as you set a question in their mind from the first moments of blog,
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