Those arrested for dog fighting won't face charges (MI)

[crow_noir]

Michigan: MI: Several arrested for dog fighting won't face charges
Several arrested for dog fighting won't face charges
No witnesses would come forward in case
By Jennifer Borrasso

SAGINAW (WJRT) - (08/09/07)--Several people arrested for dog fighting will not face charges in Saginaw. Chief Gerald Cliff says the reason no charges were filed is because no witnesses would come forward in the case.

There are three pit bulls that authorities recovered last week. One of them wasn't involved in the dog fight. Right now, they are at the Saginaw County Animal Care Center.

Last week, police officers responded to a complaint of a dog fight in progress at a house in the 2500 Block of Cumberland Street on the city's east side.

Police say when they got there they found several people standing around two dogs fighting. Police arrested at least five people.

Based on the injuries, the care center director says he believes the two dogs had been fighting for a period of time. Mark Wachner says the fact that the officers got there when they did saved at least one of the dogs' lives.

"He did sustain a lot of injuries to the muzzle and head area," he said. "He got chewed up hard. If this had continued he never would have made this fight. There's no way he could have defended himself from the larger dog."

A woman who lives at the house denied that any dog fighting happened that night. The fate of the three dogs is unknown at this point.

Copyright ©2007 ABC Inc., WJRT, Inc

http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?se...cal&id=5555253

[moosmom]

That's disgusting but sadly it's true. People involved in dog fighting refuse to come forward is very common. It sucks that the laws are so easy and the guilty parties get off with a slap on the wrist simply because they are "only animals".