Yesterday, fifth district Cleveland police obtained a warrant and raided a home on East 91st Street, where a suspected dog-fighting ring was operating. Officers found twenty-seven dogs, at the home, many of them bully breeds.
The dogs were in poor living conditions, living in barrels and boxes, and some of them restrained by heavy towing chains. Although none of them showed egregious injuries, some exhibited deep scars and bloody scratches.
The Northeast Ohio SPCA helped the Cleveland police remove the animals. Sixteen of them were thought to be puppies, but after being examined by a veterinarian, were determined to be malnourished adult dogs.
All of the dogs were people friendly, and didn’t appear to have any aggression toward each other. Most of them were timid when removed from the home. However, a fighting pit was found in the basement of the house, along with other paraphernalia used to train dogs to fight. John Baird of the Cleveland City Kennel says they may have been used as bait dogs.
The dogs have all been vaccinated and taken to the Cleveland City Kennel where they will remain while the investigation progresses. As of yet, no arrests have been made. One of the dogs had an old Ohio dog license attached to its collar, which may provide clues for detectives. It's always possible, however, that some of the dogs were stolen pets; a not-so uncommon occurrence in dog fighting rings.
Baird said that right now there is lots of room at the facility because many of their adoptable dogs have recently found homes, so none of these dogs are in imminent danger of being destroyed. Once the investigation has been completed, they will assess the dogs to determine if they will be suitable for adoption.
The City Kennel will need volunteers to help walk the dogs that are being held there. They are asking that anyone with experience in handling bully breeds or strong, untrained dogs who is interested in volunteering, please contact Dog Warden John Baird directly. Baird will be out of the office until Tuesday, December 27, and will not return calls or emails until then. Please do not come down to the kennel prior to being approved.
To contact John Baird, Chief Animal Control Officer, call: 216-664-3187, or email him at jbaird@city.cleveland.oh.us
If you would like to make a donation to the kennel to help in the care of these dogs, send donations to: Cleveland City Kennel, 2690 West 7th Street Cleveland, Ohio 44114
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