We Were There

On April 3, ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Agents arrested Alex Dykes, 49, for allegedly beating a one-year-old male Shih Tzu mix, Bentley. In September, our agents visited a Brooklyn home to investigate a complaint that a dog had been beaten and needed immediate help.

At the residence, Agents found poor Bentley in pain, and they knew something was wrong. They transported him to the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital for treatment. Our vets treated Bentley with oxygen immediately, ultimately concluding he had a brain hemorrhage and a fractured skull and jaw due to blunt force trauma. He is now recuperating in a foster home.

Dykes was charged with one count of aggravated animal cruelty, a felony, and one count of misdemeanor animal cruelty. If convicted, he faces up to two years in jail and/or a $5,000 fine.

Looking at Bentley’s sweet face, we have to wonder: Who could do this to an animal?

In late March, the ASPCA played a critical role in a three-state dog fighting raid that resulted in the rescue of nearly 100 animals. A few weeks after this intricately coordinated effort to rescue dogs in Texas, Missouri and Kansas went off without a hitch, we’re able to update you on the dogs and the dog fighters.

The Victims

When we found these dogs, many were doomed to live their whole lives tethered by heavy chains—and on the day of the raid, many were left outside to suffer through a blizzard. Now, says ASPCA Vice President of Field Investigations and Response Tim Rickey, they’re living in an entirely different world.

When the dogs arrived at our temporary shelter, our veterinary professionals, led by the ASPCA’s Dr. Sarah Kirk, examined them quickly and thoroughly. Some dogs needed immediate care, while others require ongoing treatment which they are now receiving from ASPCA and local veterinarians.

An ASPCA behaviorist will be on the ground at the shelter throughout this operation, and while the dogs stay in our clean and spacious shelter, they will benefit from behavioral enrichment programs that incorporate toys, games and lots of fun interactions with people. The dogs will have regular access to one of several large exercise playpens, where they’ll get to play with our responders and burn off excess doggy energy.

“Every day,” Rickey says, “we’re focusing on taking care of these animals and providing the best environment that we can for them.”

The Suspects

The ASPCA continues to work to collect evidence and provide other support to law enforcement, working to ensure dog fighters pay for harming these animal victims. The charges are just starting to roll in:

Last week Pete Davis Jr. and Melvin L. Robinson, both of Kansas City, Kansas, were each charged in federal court with one count of transporting animals for participation in an animal fighting venture in interstate commerce. If convicted, they face up to five years in federal prison and a possible fine of up to $250,000.

“The case is not over yet—there’s still a lot of work to be done on the investigation side,” says Rickey, adding that he hopes to see more arrests in relation to this raid.

The ASPCA had been assisting the FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Missouri State Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies with the planning of this large-scale raid since November 2012. ASPCA Blood Sports Director Terry Mills provided his expertise to help these agencies maximize the operation’s impact. Our next steps: continuing to provide top-notch care for these animals and working with authorities to secure the right to place dogs in loving homes.

If you’ve given to the ASPCA recently, from the bottom of our hearts: thank you. This raid is an enormous undertaking and a huge commitment, but we are dedicated to being there for animal victims of cruelty whenever they need us. If you haven’t yet given lately, please consider doing so today. On behalf of animals across the country, thank you!

We’re still on the ground helping care for the canine victims rescued during a multi-state dog fighting bust that occurred in Texas, Kansas and Missouri. The ASPCA Field Investigations & Response team managed the removal and transport of nearly 100 dogs on Saturday and Sunday, during a spring snowstorm that made the rescue even more difficult for both the victims and responders.

Sadly, we’ve become all too familiar with scenes like this one. The ASPCA has assisted local and federal authorities in several previous dog fighting cases, including the largest dog fighting seizure in U.S. history in Missouri in 2009, and last year’s bust in the Bronx.

What happens during a large-scale raid like the one that went down this weekend? Read Anatomy of a Raid for all the details. And stay tuned to aspcarescue.org for more information and photos from this unfolding case. 

Though Hurricane Sandy seems like a long time ago to many of us, many of those who lost everything to the storm are still just beginning to piece their lives back together. At the ASPCA, we’re still working with animal welfare groups and individuals who suffered as a result of Sandy, and less than a month has passed since our special facility for Sandy pets closed.

Since then , we’ve seen many Sandy strays find new homes and hundreds of Sandy pets reunited with their families. (To see some of those, visit our Facebook album of reunion photos.)

If we could tell you all their stories, we could, because if you give to the ASPCA you’re responsible in part for each one. For now, we’d like to tell you one—Magnus and Aheber’s. Please watch their video to see how you helped them.

Thank you for giving to the ASPCA and helping us help animals like Magnus. If you’re not already a member, please consider making a gift now. You’ll help us be prepared to go wherever animals need us, whenever they need us.