Bronx Dog Fighter Sentenced to Hard Time

Monday, February 11, 2013 - 3:30pm
Bronx Dog Fighter Sentenced to Hard Time

The dogs rescued from a Bronx dog fighter’s basement last year are finally getting justice. Raul Sanchez, who pleaded guilty to dog fighting a few weeks ago, is now heading to prison.

Last week a judge sentenced Sanchez to one to three years for animal fighting, one year for animal cruelty and one year for criminal possession of a weapon. (Sanchez will serve these sentences concurrently.)

He’s also been slapped with a ban on keeping animals for the duration of his parole. Sanchez waived his right to appeal.

We hope Sanchez’s sentence serves as a reminder to dog fighters that their crimes against innocent animals carry serious consequences.

Tags: 
Animal Cruelty
Dog Fighting
NYC

Comments

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:42 — Ann (Visitor)
He needs to serve these sentences consecutively, not concurrently, and he needs to serve every last minute of every sentence.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:44 — Kathleen (Visitor)
Pit Bulls are very good with children. It's not the breed it's the idiots torturing these poor dogs so they will fight. Punishment should be a year for each dog rescued!!! Each dog started out with unconditional love to give and Sanchez destroyed their world. Monsters like him should be tortured for what they do. Fines and sitting in a cell getting 3 meals a day is not punishment. Something needs to be done for all the poor abused animals. The only way to stop it is to make the punishment real harsh. Sanchez makes my blood boil!

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:53 — don (Visitor)
yes!

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:45 — Michael A Marino (Visitor)
We need to start with the law makers and the judges. Three years is a slap on the wrist. This problem will start to get better when these psychopaths start to get real punishment for the brutal crimes them commit. If they can do something like that to a helpless animal they do not belong in a normal society.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:46 — Eva (Visitor)
Great news but the laws need to change. 18 months for this type of violence will not stop them for doing it again. There is too much power and money that comes from it that 18 months will not deter.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:46 — Doug (Visitor)
Be nice if we could see how tough these guys are it if we put them in a fight with a few dog lovers yielding baseball bats.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:49 — Michael A Marino (Visitor)
I'd volunteer to participate in that rehabilitation program and would even bring my own bat

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:54 — don (Visitor)
I'll join your team, I have extensive experience with ball bats.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:47 — Perry (Visitor)
The time should be served CONSECUTIVELY. As it is, he will be out way too early. And the ban on keeping animals should be for life, not just the length of his parole. I see this, considering the number of animals involved, more as a slap on the wrist than a deterrent to future law-breakers.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:47 — Elisa Orozco-O'Neil (Visitor)
Not NEARLY enough time!!!!! A mere slap on the wrist!!!

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:48 — gmc (Visitor)
The punishment is not nearly enough. Why was he not given a life ban on owning pets. The 1 year sentence is laughable that will never deter criminals. They can carry on their networking while in jail and a year goes by pretty quickly. Its time the justice system got serious about animal cruelty and the perps with their guns and violence.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:48 — Deborah (Visitor)
There should be a website with the names and addresses of people who have been convicted of animal cruelty so neighbors can be on the lookout for these low lifes.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:49 — Diane (Visitor)
Not enough time. Punishments need to be way worse then they are. He should never be allowed to ever have another animal.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:49 — Sheila (Visitor)
This just goes on and on, The police just arrested two jerks and rescued 80 dogs in Elizabeth City, NC

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:49 — Michael Corder (Visitor)
I completely agree with "Blown Away"... The sentence is not nearly long enough and he should be forced to do Community Service at an animal shelter - UNDER SUPERVISION - for another number of years. He's a coward and the lowest scum of the earth.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:51 — don hughes (Visitor)
Jail time for these reprobates/infidels is not at all adequate. Our justice system, especially the judges on the bench, are not requiring longer mandatory sentences. Therefore the perpetrator does not take the matter seriously enough. Evil is growing exponentially in our world, unfortunate for animals because they are the first victims. Then the matter escalates to children and so on. Until we the people who have a conscience and actively lobby all legislatures, state and federal, to strengthen animal welfare laws nothing will improve. Evil seems to be one step ahead of the good in this world, this is the challenge we who have faith must endure and must defeat. Just think of all the abuse that goes on that is never reported.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:52 — Heather (Visitor)
He should get 1 to 3 year per dog...per count... then I would be impressed!! Get with it judge. That's a joke.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:53 — doreen rosanen (Visitor)
I should have said stupid, criminal system to allow people who harm innocent animals to live. Euthanize these horrible criminals, so we can clean this planet, one matter at a time. What a phoney President Obama is to not stop all animal cruelty..punishment being hard labour, or euthanization. By the way did you retrieve all his money from his bank and forward it on to help animals in shelters, Mr.President Obama, and the USHS.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:06 — Avocado (Visitor)
Why are you blaming Obama in particular? It's impossible to stop all animal cruelty. What makes Obama so damn phony in comparison to the dozens of other presidents we've had? Looks like you're just looking for a reason to hate...

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:54 — Lynn Smith (Visitor)
The S.O.B should have got life. Hell put him in a cage with two lion's and let's see who wins that fight!!

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:55 — Caroline (Visitor)
Still not harsh enough......we want blood !!! But, still an improvement to some idiot judges that slap people on the wrist and give them 50 hours of community service.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:56 — Rosemary Lachance (Visitor)
All wonderful comments were made! The punishment should fit the crime!!! "The time will come when people will consider the murder of animals to be just as much of a crime as the murder of people". Leonardo da Vinci The heavens see all things and not act goes unoticed!

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:57 — Mary (Visitor)
I hope he rots in jail!

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:57 — rinaldo (Visitor)
That asshole SANCHES should be put to death

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:57 — Jayne Robinson (Visitor)
They need to put these people in jail and throw away the key for fighting these precious animals!! This is terrible!! GET a dadgum job if you want to make money instead of inflecting pain and suffering on animals!! God will remember what you have done here on earth and you will pay BIG TIME later!!! AWFUL TERRIBLE People!!!

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:59 — lonna richard (Visitor)
I am sooo happy that they are finally doing something about the awful dog fighting. Its horrific for these poor dogs to have to go through this. Thank GOD, they are giving these awful people prison time. Now, if we could just have more people tell when and where these awful places are so that all dogs can be free from this horrific suffering.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 12:59 — LenUnderwood (Visitor)
I am very pleased to learn that one of these low lifes is being sent to prison, even though I don't think the sentence is long enough. However, our Judiciary in the UK is probably even more lenient than yours in the US, as we appear to just give criminals a slap on the wrist, and tell them not to do it again!!!!

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:03 — don (Visitor)
Apathy and arrogance is the name of the game.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:00 — aeyesh (Visitor)
He should also not be allowed to get any kind of dog again, and he should be on lifetime parole. People who fight dogs should be put in a ring and see if 2 dogs like these can just kick the hell out of him, and let him be the witness to what they can do to another dog, because that is what he is just another ANIMAL. Like I say when it comes to any dog, its never the dog its always the asshole that has that dog who can make him vicious.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:00 — Antoinette (Visitor)
Should have been 1 year per dog

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:00 — don (Visitor)
People are FOOLS if they think they will not be judged for their cruelty. There will be standing room only in hell, good riddens.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:00 — debbie bukovan (Visitor)
1-3 yrs is too small amt of time for this person. He'll get time knocked off his sentence for time-served while going through court case and in all liklihood will never serve the entire sentence.When are the penalties for animal abuse goiing to be higher?

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:01 — BJ (Visitor)
Sentence is entirely too short & not fitting the crime. Should NEVER be allowed to have animals again!!

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:01 — Tracy Anderson (Visitor)
The sentences should be longer- people need to take these crimes more seriously-

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:01 — Erika (Visitor)
This was WAY too light. Give me a break. If these sentences are served concurrently, that's effectively 1 year. They should be served consecutively and they should be longer. Additionally, anyone that's been found guilty of animal cruelty should be prohibited from ever owning an animal. Let's be real.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:05 — joie (Visitor)
i agree with u whole heartily

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:03 — joie (Visitor)
it great that he was caught and sentenced for the cruel things he did to those dogs but i think they need longer prison time. they have people thining that these are dangerous animals and they are not, so they need to be put away a lot longer then just 3 years .

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:04 — Monica B-R (Visitor)
Not nearly time enough. And he gets to have animals after parole?! What?!

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:05 — Avocado (Visitor)
1. Why is he serving a concurrent sentence instead of all of them back to back? 2. Why will he be allowed to have animals when his probation is up? What possible use could he have for a pet, especially a dog? 3. How will he learn his lesson if our tax dollars are just paying for him to eat, crap, and sleep in a concrete room? 4. Was anyone able to get information out of him about people who attended his dogfights and other people who fight dogs? 5. If not, why not? If yes, what will be done with that information? Will more people be brought to justice? 6. What is REALLY going to happen to the dogs? What about the puppies in particular, since they are too young to be as traumatized (and therefore are easier to place)? 7. What does this man look like, so people (especially shelters) can pick him out and make better-informed decisions about whether or not to let him adopt/foster/interact with a dog?

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:07 — Rosie (Visitor)
Not only should the punishment fit the crime, but they should do a few years of community service at a local animal shelter. Also they should be publicly exposed for the POS they are. And of course never ever to own any animal.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:07 — Sharon (Visitor)
Yes, it's a start, but we need to never give up on this cruel so-called sport!! It makes me sick to my stomch that these thugs have no more respect for these beautiful animals!! They are precious creatures place on this earth to care for, love & enjoy as part of our family. Humans can choose whether to fight or not - these poor things have no choices...therefore we have to be their voice and their protectors. Bless their precious souls.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:07 — Rosemarie (Visitor)
The sentence imposed to the Bronx man for his role in dog fighting is not nearly enough! We need stricter laws and punishments in order to really deter other people from committing these types of crimes. Animal cruelty is a serious problem and needs to be stopped.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:08 — angela (Visitor)
NOT ENOUGH PUNISHMENT at all, we need to make bigger changes to get this horror to stop, after all Vick only got a slap on the wrist for the brutal murder of innocent dogs!

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:09 — Lesley Harrison (Visitor)
He should be shot, hung and set on fire for what he had done to those beautiful creatures.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:09 — Donna Hanneken (Visitor)
Not nearly enough time, was too passive, should have been 5-10 years. Animals still don't get their fair deal.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:09 — Virginia (Visitor)
Sentence was far to lenient. I hope he is going to the worst prison they can find to put him.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:10 — Gina Bessetti-Reyes (Visitor)
But what happens to the dogs? Are they all going to be put down because they have been trained to fight?

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:11 — Daniel (Visitor)
We should force the individuals who get convicted of this type of crime to fight each other on a dailt basis for the sport so they can experience what they put these poor dogs through.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:12 — Kathy Gordon (Visitor)
Sentenced to hard time???Misleading and not hard time.He'll do less than 18 months,if that.Read what it states his sentences are to run concurrently..at the same time.So he will get out fast enough to go right back into business,forget the ban on owning animals,he knows not much will be done to stop him. A slap on the wrist for this despicable felon.Someone smoking a joint will get more time than him.

Fri, 02/15/2013 - 13:21 — Daniel (Visitor)
A severe case of lead poisoning will stop him, especially the 45 caliber kind.

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