Newspaper Page Text
The Millen News, Wednesday, October 14, 2009 — Page 3
Dogfighting operation discovered near Midville
By Elizabeth Billips
True Citizen Associate Editor
Bones, blood and death were
everywhere.
Sunday afternoon, an anony
mous call guided a Burke
County deputy to a bloodied
dogfighting ring behind a trailer
near Midville.
It was a scene that seasoned
investigators are calling “sick
ening” and “infuriating.”
“It was just hanging in a tree,”
Sgt. Matt Raulerson says as he
points to a photograph of a
strangled, fly-covered dog dan
gling from its leash.
Other photos show blood
sopped sponges, rags and col
lars and pit bull carcasses in
various stages of decay. One
recently deceased dog has most
of its face ripped off.
“This had been going on for
quite some time,” Sgt.
Raulerson says as he flips
through images of sun bleached
skulls and vertebrae scattered
throughout the backyard and
woods behind the Scott’s Store
Road trailer.
According to deputies, Sonya
Michelle Walker, 28, was living
inside with her young children.
She told them she was un
aware of the overpowering
stench and the dead bodies out
side, but acknowledged her
children’s father, William
Moody Jr., 31, would bring dogs
to her home.
Walker turned herself into
authorities Monday on charges
of dogfighting and aggravated
cruelty to animals, and arrest
warrants were issued for Moody
on like charges. DFCS was
called on to investigate the wel
fare of their children.
Investigators say as many as
15 to 20 vehicles had been
parked outside when a lone
deputy got the call and walked
up on the homemade ring. Find
ing no one outside, she quickly
retreated and called for backup.
But by the time deputies re
turned, the crowd had disas
sembled the ring and fled the
area. Moody’s brother, Calvin,
was seen running into the
woods and is still wanted for
obstruction.
Augusta Animal Services
(AAS) seized six puppies and
three adult dogs, including an
extremely malnourished nurs
ing mother and older pit bull
mix chained so tightly to a tree
that his body scraped it when he
tried to move.
“I think he was a roll-out
dog,” AAS field supervisor
Bruce McClure says, pointing
out the dog’s facial wounds and
swollen head. “When
(dogfighters) want to test the
aggression of new dogs, they’ll
send them into the ring with an
old fighter like this one. They
let them spar for a while and
then separate them. It’s a confi
dence builder for the younger
dog.”
McClure says there’s no tell
ing how many dogs met their
ends behind the trailer. Besides
the heavy scattering of bones,
there are numerous dirt mounds
and patches indicating other
animals were buried.
“It’s a horrific crime,”
McClure says, noting that the
dog found hanging in the tree is
not an unusual find. “It’s a sport
within the dogfight... when a dog
is not a good fighter it’s no
longer desirable and is often
killed in painful, treacherous
ways.”
He says it’s not uncommon
for one of these “turned” dogs
to be dangled from a tree limb
for the purpose of training and
betting. “They’ll take bets on
whose dog can clamp onto the
legs and hold on the longest,”
he explains. “Sometimes the
dog will be lowered so that pup
pies can train too.”
Investigators say they’re cur
rently working to identify some
of the dogfighters and specta
tors that got away and hope the
public will step up with infor
mation.
It could pay big for anyone
who does. The Humane Society
of the United States offers a re
ward up to $5,000 to any tipster
who provides information lead
ing to the arrest and conviction
of anyone involved in dogfight
ing.
KNOW SOMETHING?
If you have information about
this or any other dogfighting op
eration, call Burke County inves
tigators at 706-554-2133. To find
out more about the reward up to
$5,000, go to the humane
society's website at http://
www.hsus.org/, then follow the
“campaigns and program” link to
“animal cruelty and fighting.”
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Pit bull carcasses and bones littered the yard and woods
surrounding the ring. (Photos courtesy of the Burke
County Sheriff’s Office)
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If you own or have equity in your home, land, mobile home
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This strangled pit bull was found dangling by its leash
from a tree limb.
Open: Tuesday - Friday 9 am - 6 pm / Saturday 9 am - 3 pm
Toll Free: (866) 564-2012 E-mail: gwo@windstream.net
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ARE YOU INTERESTED IN ATTENDING
EAST GEORGIA COLLEGE IN WAYNESBORO?
Classes begin January 2010... don’t be left behind!
3 easy steps to a successful future!
Step 1. Apply for EGC Admission on-line at http://www.ega.edu/admissions/
Or, call the EGC Admissions Office at 478.289.201 7
Step 2. Apply for financial aid on-line at http://www,ega,edu/finaid/howtoapply.htm
For assistance, call the EGC Financial Aid Office at 478.289.2009
Step 3. Attend Student Advisement and Registration at the Burke County Public Library
October 12, 13, 14 and 1 5 Drop by any day between 2 p.m. — 6 p.m.
Faculty and staff will be available to assist with:
Admissions Application Financial Aid Application
Advisement Class Registration
COMPASS Placement Exam
COMPASS is a free placement test, not an admissions test. It can be taken any time after an
admissions application has been submitted. The confidential results are used by academic advisors
to place each student in appropriate courses that will prepare him/her for educational success.
Calculators are permitted and the results are given directly to the student at the end of the test.
Students who are required to take the COMPASS test may not register for classes without test results.
Transfer students may or may not be required to take the COMPASS test. To exempt the test, SAT or
ACT scores are required.
What you need to bring:
'A $20 Application fee, if you haven’t applied in advance
'A Transcripts from previous educational experiences:
High school GED with scores
Technical Colleges All colleges and universities
'A SAT or ACT scores
SAT or ACT scores are not required if you graduated within 5 years of enrollment at EGC.
However, to exempt the COMPASS placement test, SAT/ACT scores are required.
FOR. MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT EGC ADMISSIONS OFFICE AT
478-289-ZOI7 OR http://www.ega.edu/admissions/contact.htm
CRN
Campus
Course
Title
Days
Time
Instructor
20350
Burke
County
EGAC
1100
Student Success
Monday
4:15-
5:05pm
Edgens
20351
Burke
County
ENGL 0099
Learning Support
English
Monday/Wed nes
day
7-
8:40pm
Staff
20352
Burke
County
HIST 21 12
U. S. History since 1865
Wednesday
5:15-
7:45pm
Howell
20353
Burke
County
MATH 0099
Learning Support Math
II
Tuesday/Thursday
5:15-
6:55pm
Franklin
20354
Burke
County
MATH 1 1 1 1
College Algebra
Tuesday/Thursday
3:45-
5:00pm
Franklin
20355
Burke
County
POLS 1 101
American Government
Monday
5:15-
7:45pm
Edgens
20356
Burke
County
READ 0099
Learning Support
Reading
Monday/Wed nes
day
5-
6:40pm
Staff
20274
Online
ART 1 1 00
Introduction to Art
Purcell
20267
Online
BIOL 1 104
Introductory Biology II
Wedincamp
20051
Online
ENGL 1 101
Composition 1
Whitaker
20052
Online
ENGL 1 102
Composition II
Whitaker
20053
Online
ENGL 21 1 1
World Literature 1
Whitaker
20038
Online
ENGL 21 12
World Literature II
Nevil
20349
Online
ENGL 2120
British Literature
Whitaker
20266
Online
HIST 1 1 1 1
Western Civilization to
McKinney
20083
Online
HIST 2112
U.S. History since 1865
Upchurch
20258
Online
HLTH 2051
Health
Ware
20345
Online
ISCI 1101
Integrated Science
Dickens
20150
Online
MATH 1111
College Algebra
Barrs
20268
Online
MATH 1121
Introduction to Statistics
Blackburn
20260
Online
PHED 1071
Fitness Walking
Ware
20259
Online
PHED 1141
Weight Training
Ware
20087
Online
POLS 1101
American Government
Caiazzo
20089
Online
PSYC 1101
General Psychology
Kearns
20261
Online
PSYC 2103
Human Growth &
Development
Braddy
20265
Online
SOCI 1160
Social Problems
Strickland