A two and a half month old pit bull found at a Solvang
home, neglected, abused and both ears raggedly cut off, a tell-tale sign of
dog-fighting, is a harsh reminder of recent events in the Michael Vick case and
the unfortunate reality of animal cruelty on the Central Coast.
Rocky, a brindle pit-bull was removed from a residence on
Maple Street in July, after a concerned citizen called the Lompoc Animal
Shelter expressing concern that the animal was being poorly treated. That
citizen, who asked to remain anonymous, said, “I kept hearing the dog crying
all day and all night, yelping.”
When Santa Barbara Animal Control arrived, an officer
found Rocky in the backyard, tied to a tree with a tangled cord that allowed
the dog minimal room to move or walk. The officer noted that food and water
weren’t within reachable distance for the dog. Rocky’s
ears were cut off all the way to the scalp, with either a knife or scissors and
the exposed skin was bloody and infected, according to the report. The employee
from Animal Control noted that the injury to the ears,
appeared to have occurred recently. It is widely known that most breeders
involved in dog fighting cut the ears so that rivals cannot bite onto them. The
concerned citizen watched as the officer removed Rocky from the premises.
“The dog acted
really happy when Animal Control held it in their arms,” the concerned citizen
said.
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Francisco
Gutierrez, who along with his companion Roselene Monroy, face charges of failing to provide adequate care
for an animal. Monroy appeared in court last week and
entered a plea of not guilty. Gutierrez is still outstanding. The citizen
commented on his neighbors, “They seemed like a nice couple to me, but look
what happened with Michael Vick. Who
would have thought that could have happened.”
This summer, the Michael Vick dog fighting case shocked
the nation provoking loud protests, and renewed animal
advocacy.
Around the time of Rocky’s
rescue, Vick’s guilty plea shed light onto the brutal culture of dogfighting that seems to be proliferating in parts of the
United States. Published court documents in Vick’s case illustrate the
barbarity involved in the sport. Along, with cutting ears, and injecting the
pit bulls with steroids, Vick and his co-conspirators also “executed” several
dogs that did not perform well in training by hanging, drowning or
electrocuting them. Life as a fighting
dog is neither pleasant, nor long, according to investigations by PETA and the
Humane Society. Dog fighting is illegal in all 50 states, and punishable by
law. If convicted, Vick could face prison time, and fines. Even though there is
an existing warrant out for Gutierrez’s arrest, The Santa Barbara County
Sheriff’s Department would not comment on the case. In her defense, Monroy told officers that an unknown man approached them in
Santa Maria carrying Rocky and asked them if they wanted the dog. Monroy said she noticed the ear injury, but the couple agreed
to take the dog anyways. They claim Rocky was only in their custody for a short
time.
Even though animal shelters in the county are bursting at
the seams with abandoned pit bulls, officials at the Santa Barbara County
Public Health Department say dog fighting cases here are rare, and there has
been only one other documented case in the last year.
“As a breed, pit bulls unfortunately don’t have the best
reputation,” said Susan Klein Rothchild of Santa
Barbara County Public Health Department. “But, if you look at each one
individually, most make wonderful pets.”
Rocky received care at a local animal shelter and from
local animal advocate Julia Di Sieno. From rough
beginnings, the young pit bull appears to be on the road to recovery and has
since been adopted. Rocky has also become an ambassador for Animal Rescue Team,
Inc. owned by Di Sieno. The organization is hosting a
fundraiser Sunday, Sept. 23 from 3 p.m. til 7 p.m. at
the Maverick Saloon in Santa Ynez for all animals
that have been abused, orphaned, injured and neglected.
“It’s time that the Valley has a permanent home and place
for animal rescues,” Di Sieno said.
For more
information regarding the Sept. 23 fundraiser or the Animal Rescue Team, Inc.
call Julia Di Sieno at 805-896-1859.