Pit bull owners go to court to fight evictions

Dinwiddie pit bull owners, told to get rid of their animals or face eviction, appeared in court Monday afternoon.

Tenants given that ultimatum back in February by the Green Acres trailer park, say they're not giving up.

"I hope it boils down to us being able to keep the dogs," said resident Arieal Lilly.

The group walked into court united and ready to plead their case. Four tenants have refused to get rid of their pit bulls or move. Now, the group faces eviction.

"I'm hoping everything will work out for the best for all of us because it's not easy to get up and just move," Lilly added.

The tenants appeared in court for the first time with their attorneys.


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Efforts to combat dogfighting gain major ally in RICO statute

Dharma the three-legged pit bull is a survivor.

The canine was found mangled in 2009 when federal investigators busted a massive dogfighting ring that spanned from Illinois to Texas. The raids resulted in the seizure of more than 400 dogs and numerous arrests.

Animal welfare workers said Dharma wasn't used in the dogfights but rather was left chained outside in rural Missouri to produce fresh litters of puppies. The dog's abusers, they said, amputated one of her front legs.

Suzanne Schemm, the dog's adoptive owner, believes Dharma, now 5, is lucky to have escaped from an underground world where crimes against animals are common but often difficult to solve and prosecute.

"This case was just the tip of the iceberg," said Schemm, a southwest suburban resident, referring to the Missouri raid.

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Authorities Bust Bronx Dog-Fighting Ring

Police said they were forced to remove up to 50 dogs from the basement of 1254 Sherman Avenue in the Concourse section Thursday, where a suspected dog-fighting ring was being run. NY1's Dean Meminger filed the following report.



Scars on a pitbull's face represented evidence of what was going on in the basement of Sherman Avenue and 168th Street in the Bronx.

Investigators said 50 dogs as young as 12 weeks and as old as 5 years were bred, trained and put in fighting matches here.

"There is extensive training equipment," said NYPD Deputy Inspector Anthony Favale. "There's treadmills, it looks like homemade makeshift treadmills. They would put the dogs on to build them up and exercise them. There were areas that were clearly staged for fighting."

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Our Rick James went missing after last nights thunderstorm!

FOUND!!! Rick James Lost!!!

HUGE thanks to Lynn (see comment :), Rick James is now home, safe and sound, with his family! Had he not been wearing his Ring Dog Rescue tag, with our phone numbers, his reunion would've been delayed, or not even at all. So as a reminder, please ensure your pets have proper identification tags on at all times — inside or out.