Eight Charged In South Side Dog Fighting Operation

Caption: Eight people were charged after Chicago police said they found an illegal dog fighting operation at a South Side residence, including (first row, top to bottom) Jawann Chick, Sabrina Morris and Taylon Hughes; (second row, top to bottom) Shaquille Middleton and Charles Ray; (third row, top to bottom) Jimmie Kelly, Arnuflo Sanchez and William Hill.

Chicago Police charged eight adults after an alleged dog fighting operation was discovered at a residence Sunday evening.

The investigation was triggered by a resident’s complaint of possible dog fighting taking place in a home in the 6600 block of South Winchester Avenue around 7:30 p.m.

Police said they found four pit bulls with wounds consistent with dog fighting, along with a dog fighting ring inside a residence.

Eight adults were taken into custody at the scene and charged accordingly.

The injured dogs were brought to Chicago Animal Care and Control.

Jawann Chick, 22, of Matteson, was charged with “one felony count of dog fighting/own/2+,” according to Police News Affairs.

The rest of the adults were charged with one felony count of dog fighting/attending a show, including:

• Sabrina Morris, 44, of the 6600 block of South Winchester Ave., Chicago
• Taylon Hughes, 24, of the 7400 block of Kingston Ave., Chicago
• Shaquille Middleton, 20, of the 3900 block of Timberlea Ct., Country Club Hills
• Charles Ray, 28, of the 2600 block of East 74th Place, Chicago
• Jimmie Kelly, 59, of the 6600 block of South Winchester Ave., Chicago
• Arnuflo Sanchez, 37, of the 15100 block of Turlington, Harvey
• William Hill, 18, of the 6600 block of South Winchester Ave., Chicago

Possible Signs of Dog Fighting:

If you suspect dog fighting of taking place in your neighborhood or community, The Humane Society of the United States advises to look for the following signs:

• Pit bulls on heavy chains, often padlocked in yards or basements or otherwise confined. If a home has multiple pit bulls that appear to be injured, abused, scarred, unneutered or unsocialized, dog fighting could be taking place.
• Scarred dogs, especially pit bulls, may exhibit scars on the face, front legs, hind ends and thighs. Puncture wounds, swollen faces and mangled ears are also telltale signs of possible dog fighting.
• Dogfighters will also use treadmills as possible conditioning tools, either homemade or electric. Treadmills may also have chains or harnesses used to tether dogs.
• Fighting pits often constructed from plywood, measure 14 to 20 square feet, with walls 2 to 3 feet high. Pits may also be blood stained. Dog fighting pits can also be constructed from chain link-fencing or other makeshift materials, such as hay barrels. The pits will also have scratch marks in opposite corners. which dogs must stay behind until a referee orders the dogs to be set loose.
• Prior to a fight, handlers wash and examine dogs in wash tubs to examine an opponent’s dog under a referee’s supervision to remove any poisons or caustic materials from the dog’s coat, which is a form of cheating.
• Vitamins, drugs and vet supplies used for legitimate purposes may also be present at illegal dog fighting operations. A few commonly used drugs include dexamethazone (steroid), amoxicillin and ampicillin (antibiotics), Canine Red Dog (iron supplement), and Winstrol-V (steroid).
• A jenny mill or cat mill resembling a miniature horse walker is also used as a training tool to encourage prey drive and conditioning. Harnessed to a spoke projecting froma rotating center shaft, the dog chases a small bait animal such as a rabbit or cat who has been caged or tied to a spoke just ahead of the dog.
• Breaking sticks that are flat on one side and approximately a foot long and often blood stained are used to pry open a dog’s mouth to break up a fight.
• Dogfighters will keep up with blood lines and winning dogs through such underground publications such as the Sporting Dog Journal. Other titles include Scratch Back, International Dog Journal and Certified Contender Report. The HSUS says that these publications are illegal to ship in the United States.
• A spring pole is a device used to condition a dog’s jaw and neck muscles. The dog bites and holds on to the spring pole made from knotted rope, rawhide, or other material suspended from a beam or sturdy tree branch.

The HSUS says that despite public outrage over the Michael Vick case, dog fighting continues to thrive as an underground sport. More than 40,000 people participate in organized dogfighting in the United States and hundreds of thousands more take part in impromptu street dogfighting.

Utility workers, postal carriers, delivery drivers and neighbors who think they have spotted signs of an illegal dog fighting operation should immediately call 911 or contact their local law enforcement agency immediately.

You can also call the HSUS dogfighting tip line at 1-877-TIP-HSUS (1-877-847-4787). Tipsters can receive a reward of up to $5,000 from the HSUS if tips lead to the conviction of a dogfighter. For more information on how to claim a reward, visit the Humane Society of the United States website.