The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #68747   Message #1804134
Posted By: Stilly River Sage
08-Aug-06 - 01:18 AM
Thread Name: BS: I Read it in the Newspaper
Subject: RE: BS: I Read it in the Newspaper
It breaks your heart to read about people who intentionally mistreat good animals like this. This is the kind of operation/operator that creates the kind of pit bulls that everyone fears.




300 pit bulls seized after fatal shooting in Liberty County
Associated Press

CLEVELAND, Texas - About 300 pit bulls were seized by authorities on Monday after the dogs were discovered in a Liberty County home suspected of being a base for a dogfighting ring. Liberty County officials discovered the dogs after investigating a fatal shooting during a robbery last week at a home in Cleveland, about 45 miles northeast of Houston.

Thomas Weigner, 27, the owner of the 23-acre property, bled to death after being shot in the leg, said Liberty County Sheriff Greg Arthur. Weigner's wife, father-in-law and three children were tied up during the incident, but were not hurt, Arthur said.

Authorities believe Weigner bred the dogs for fighting and shipped them across the country. "At this time, we don't believe it was a random home invasion," Arthur said. "We do believe there's a connection (to the dog ring)."

Authorities found no evidence that pit bulls fought on the property, but Houston Humane Society officers said there were 75 pups in chicken-type coops. The rest were chained to ground spikes, living in standing water and their own waste. Investigators estimate the dogs could be worth $500,000 to $1 million. The animals were being transported to a Humane Society wellness center in Houston, where they would be evaluated.