Tyrone N. Butts
APE Reporter
3
Hewitt Grant
19 dogs euthanized after dog-training arrest
Nineteen of the 150 dogs found at a Polk County residence Thursday have been euthanized because they were too sick to recover.
The dog's owner, Hewitt Grant, 38, of 2335 Pump Road in Mulberry is charged with one felony count of maintaining and owning equipment and dogs for baiting or fighting, 19 felony counts of animal cruelty (due to the dogs who have had to be euthanized because of their poor conditions) and 54 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty.
Polk County deputies said Grant was using cat mills on his property to train dogs to be aggr
essive. A cat mill is when a live animal, such as a cat, opossum or raccoon, is placed in a cage just out of r
each of a chained dog. The practice teaches the dog to be aggressive as it strains to catch the caged animal.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described how one dog was treated.
"This chain was around this pregnant dog's neck," Judd said. "And she was staked out. And for her to move at all, she had to drag this chain with her collar."
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd holds the chain a pregnant dog was attached to.
Detectives also said some dogs would chase other animals in a circle to train the dogs for endurance and aggression.
Because the dogs have been trained to be killers, most will have to be euthanized instead of put up for adoption. The puppies, if they do not yet show aggression toward other animals, may be adoptable.
"Dogs this age, the li
ttle
puppies, maybe if we put them together and they don't show signs of aggression, then there would be a possibility [of adoption]," said veterinarian Dr. Joseph Ertel. "The dogs are basically friendly, but when you
put them with another dog, all they know to do is to try to kill the other dog."
All the dogs have been taken to the Animal Control facility in Winter Haven and will be cared for and fed by Animal Control until a hearing determines who will gain custody of the animals.
Any dogs determined to be fit for adoption will not be adopted out until after the custody hearing, which may not occur for several months.
Judd said his deputies will be looking for other cases of illegal dog training.
"We are going to come to your residence. We are going to come to your puppy mill," Judd said. "We are going to come to your dog-fighting mill and put you in jail and save these dogs."
*****
*******
Ten reasons dogs are better than niggers.
1. You can own a dog.
2. A dog is man's best friend.
3. Dogs smell better than niggers.
4. If you feed a dog he will be your friend.
5. You can put a leash on a dog.
6. You can put a muzzle on a dog.
7. Anim
al control picks up stray dogs.
8. Your dog will protect you and your family.
9. You can train a dog to do tricks, poop outside etc.
10. If your dog becomes mean and violent you can take it to the vet and have it put down.
T.N.B.
Hewitt Grant
19 dogs euthanized after dog-training arrest
Nineteen of the 150 dogs found at a Polk County residence Thursday have been euthanized because they were too sick to recover.
The dog's owner, Hewitt Grant, 38, of 2335 Pump Road in Mulberry is charged with one felony count of maintaining and owning equipment and dogs for baiting or fighting, 19 felony counts of animal cruelty (due to the dogs who have had to be euthanized because of their poor conditions) and 54 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty.
Polk County deputies said Grant was using cat mills on his property to train dogs to be aggr
essive. A cat mill is when a live animal, such as a cat, opossum or raccoon, is placed in a cage just out of r
each of a chained dog. The practice teaches the dog to be aggressive as it strains to catch the caged animal.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described how one dog was treated.
"This chain was around this pregnant dog's neck," Judd said. "And she was staked out. And for her to move at all, she had to drag this chain with her collar."
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd holds the chain a pregnant dog was attached to.
Detectives also said some dogs would chase other animals in a circle to train the dogs for endurance and aggression.
Because the dogs have been trained to be killers, most will have to be euthanized instead of put up for adoption. The puppies, if they do not yet show aggression toward other animals, may be adoptable.
"Dogs this age, the li
ttle
puppies, maybe if we put them together and they don't show signs of aggression, then there would be a possibility [of adoption]," said veterinarian Dr. Joseph Ertel. "The dogs are basically friendly, but when you
put them with another dog, all they know to do is to try to kill the other dog."
All the dogs have been taken to the Animal Control facility in Winter Haven and will be cared for and fed by Animal Control until a hearing determines who will gain custody of the animals.
Any dogs determined to be fit for adoption will not be adopted out until after the custody hearing, which may not occur for several months.
Judd said his deputies will be looking for other cases of illegal dog training.
"We are going to come to your residence. We are going to come to your puppy mill," Judd said. "We are going to come to your dog-fighting mill and put you in jail and save these dogs."
*****
*******
Ten reasons dogs are better than niggers.
1. You can own a dog.
2. A dog is man's best friend.
3. Dogs smell better than niggers.
4. If you feed a dog he will be your friend.
5. You can put a leash on a dog.
6. You can put a muzzle on a dog.
7. Anim
al control picks up stray dogs.
8. Your dog will protect you and your family.
9. You can train a dog to do tricks, poop outside etc.
10. If your dog becomes mean and violent you can take it to the vet and have it put down.
T.N.B.