[Purple]

Dog fighting case opens doors for animal care


Wednesday, March 26, 2008


By TONY BURBECK / WCNC
E-mail Tony: TBurbeck@WCNC.com

Exclusive look inside a dog-fighting operation


CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A guilty plea in a dog fighting operating has created a new training tool for CMPD’s Animal Care and Control.

Claude Anthony Sanders recently pleaded guilty to dog fighting and baiting. His was arrested in 2006.

After the plea, Animal Care and Control asked to keep the items police seized from Sanders. A judge granted their request this month.
The list of confiscated items is a page-and-a-half long and includes scalpels, surgical rap and skin creams.

"The list is extensive,” said Melissa Knicely with Animal Care and Control.
It also includes IV lines, IV bags, hydrogen peroxide, thermometers, stethoscopes and needles.

Some items are common for treating animal injuries, others are not and Animal Care and Control says those require some medical knowledge.
"Stitching thread kits, there's a surgical stapler,” Knicely said.

Police also found antibiotics, anesthesia, adrenaline, ointments and arthritis medication.

"Not your everyday person would know how to use these things,” she said.

Police say Claude Sanders did.

They confiscated them in a raid after five pit bulls were found fighting. One didn't survive.

The muscle builder Creatine was confiscated as well.

"It's some of the similar stuff an athlete would use,” Knicely said.
In this case, used for making mean animal fighting machines.
Sanders pleaded guilty to dog fighting and baiting.

Animal Care and Control is now using the items for training and teaching.
It is a way to recognize dog fighting, other than by seeing the dogs themselves.

"When they're all together, it kind of gives you an indication that now, there's more to the story there,” she said.

Animal Care and Control says last month’s guilty plea is nice, but a hollow victory.

"It's a sad end, you know,” Knicely said. “The victory is not what you would think it would be.”

The pit bulls were euthanized. They couldn't be rehabilitated after trained to fight.

Claude Sanders' sentence includes probation, restitution and he's not allowed to own or live with animals.

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