February 14, 2008

ORLANDO – Last month a suspected dog fighting ring was shaken up when 11 combative pit bulls were seized.

The presiding judge initially condemned the canines, labeling them “dangerous and unlikely to be retrained.” They were slated to be euthanized. But thanks to an uncommon motion, the dogs have won a temporary reprieve.

It came from the assistant public defender representing cousins Bruce and Nathanial Warren, who are charged with training the dogs for illegal sport.

While the prosecution requested the dogs to be euthanized, Circuit Judge Mark Hill granted the stays of execution after considering Defense Attorney Vivionne Terrell’s concerns.

She contends that putting the dogs to sleep would be the same as destroying evidence.

But investigators conclude the deeply scarred dogs themselves are the evidence that shows they were trained to fight.

They believe the dogs’ extreme aggression is beyond rehabilitation as the animals lunge, open-jawed at shelter staff walking by their cages. Consequently, the shelter veterinarian refuses to examine them.

While there is plenty of proof that the animals are regarded as dangerous and unadoptable, the judge issued the stay for another reason.

If the dogs were euthanized prior to the trial, it could jeopardize the prosecution of the alleged dog fighters.

In the meantime, the animals are being sheltered at Lake County Animal Services, where space is limited. The pit bulls occupy 20 of the 48 pens, which leaves a lot of strays out in the cold and reduces the length of time the current rescues can stay.

With the dogs photographed and their images preserved, prosecutors argued that authorities don’t have the space to keep every piece of evidence in criminal investigations.

However, the judge played it safe, legally, but issued his own stay directed to the Public Defenders Office.

“And if they want to go into the cages with the animals, I’ll be more than happy to let them go in – OK – so they can determine for themselves whether or not the animals are dangerous,” Hill said. “That should be interesting.”

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