"If I was a dog fighter, I'd stay out of Wilkes County." That's what one Humane Society official said last week after the seizure of 127 pit bulls from a kennel in Millers Creek. Let's hope dog fighters and breeders of fighting dogs hear him loud and clear -- and stay out of all of Northwest North Carolina.
The days when dogfighting was a misdemeanor to be winked at are long gone. Dog fighting is a felony in this state, and it won't be tolerated.
Wilkes County deputies and animal-control officers, working with the Humane Society of the United States, seized the dogs Wednesday from Wildside Kennels, in a remote, mountainous pocket of the county.
Edward Anthony Faron, the owner of the kennel, faces a felony count of dog fighting and baiting. So does his son, Donni Juan Casanova, and Amanda Grace Lunsford.
The arrests capped a three-year investigation, Monte Mitchell reported in Friday's Journal, and the investigators are calling the case a "gigantic" seizure at one of the country's largest breeding operations for fighting dogs.
The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless proved otherwise. Wildside Kennels' Web site includes a disclaimer that says "No dogs bred, raised or sold for illegal purposes." But Faron has made no secret of his enthusiasm for dog fighting. Faron is nationally known among dog-fighting circles.
"We recognize him as one of the top 10 breeders of fighting dogs in the United States," said John Goodwin, who is with the Humane Society of the United States.
Faron is the co-author of The Complete Gamedog -- A Guide to Breeding and Raising the American Pit Bull Terrier. The book, which claims to be fiction, is not recommended reading for all the responsible owners of pit bulls out there. It includes quotes from various dog fighters, such as this gem: "Boss took a chunk of bone out of that dog's skull the size of a fifty-cent piece!"
There have always been warped people who take pleasure in watching animals tear each other to pieces. And, at least in the case of dog fighting, there's money to be made. Pitt-bull puppies from kennels can sell for as much as $750, an adult dog that's a good fighting prospect might fetch $1,000, and a top fighting dog might sell for more than $10,000.
The dogs seized last week, about half of which were puppies, will be held as evidence. Too many dogs across this country haven't been rescued. Local animal-control officers are usually too overworked to do the lengthy investigations needed to bust dog fighters and breeders of fighting dogs. Fortunately, the Humane Society was there for the Wilkes case.
One investigator said that when he asked Faron why he moved to North Carolina, Faron talked about how beautiful the area is.
With the bust of his kennel, it just got a lot prettier.
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