Dogs were trained to fight to the death.
The New Jersey State Police arrested eight men on April 6 on suspicion of taking part in a brutal dogfighting ring that generated enormous profits for the ring leader.
More than 100 dogs were rescued by police and the Humane Society at a Cumberland County compound. The dogs were placed in outdoor pens and were shivering in the cold. Many had untreated wounds and injuries from dogfighting.
An animal crimes investigator for the Humane Society of the United States, Janette Reever, said:
“Though they were shivering in the cold rain, these dogs still left their meager shelters to greet us. We are grateful to the New Jersey State Police for their hard work and dedication to put a stop to this cycle of suffering.”
The Attorney General, Matthew J. Platkin, said the dogfighting operation was the largest dogfighting operation the State of New Jersey had ever seen. He said that operating a dogfighting operation was “callous, brutal and cruel.”
The dogs were trained to fight to the death. This involved barbaric training practices. One was to strap the dog to an ATV and make the dog “run at speeds as high as 14 miles an hour, often for long periods of time,” said the Attorney General.
The leader of the dogfighting ring was Bruce “Hollywood” Low, Jr., 44, from Atantic County. He was charged with making large sums of money from hosting dog fighting “concerts”, stud fees, and gambling winnings.
Charges laid
Now “Hollywood” faces a number of charges that could see him behind bars for a long time:
- Racketeering (2nd degree);
- Conspiracy (2nd degree);
- Money Laundering (2nd degree);
- Misconduct by a Corporate Official (2nd degree);
- Leader of a Dogfighting Network (2nd degree);
- Promoting Organized Street Crime (2nd degree);
- Dogfighting by possessing, keeping and/or training a dog for a fight (3rd degree);
- Dogfighting for gambling on the outcome (3rd degree);
- Possession of dogfighting paraphernalia (3rd degree);
- Cruelty to Animals (4th degree);
- Falsifying Records (4th degree); and
- Identity Theft (4th degree).
Police arrested two close family members of “Hollywood” being Terri A. Low, and, 67, Bryce J. Low, 20. Other players arrested were Roosevelt Hart IV, 29, Coy Glenn Dickenson, 58, Travis J. Garron, 38, Mark A. Runkle, 42, and William McClinton, 68.
Police said the ill-gotten money was laundered by a construction limited liability company called Kisdir Group.
Also named in charges was a dog breeder and kennel business called Royal Bull Kennel who alledgedly supplied the dogs. Their website has closed down, but a Facebook page is still up:
Video Source: Facebook | Royal Bull Kennel
Attorney General Platkin said:
“Profiting from dogfighting is callous, brutal, and cruel. These animals are born into lives of abuse, suffering, and violence, culminating with hours-long fights and frequently these dogs’ slow and painful deaths. The alleged illegal activities that were uncovered by this investigation will not go unpunished.”
The dogs are now being treated for their injuries at an undisclosed location that is overseen by veterinarians from the Humane Society of the United States.
