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California than any other place, she wouldn’t be shocked if they brought dog fighting with them. She said there was “a big dog fighting ring” somewhere south of Maricopa. Rou reported the man’s White GMC Sierra with a California license plate to law enforcement. Then, in August, the same pickup truck was tied to another incident involving the rescue of a bait dog. January Harrison was driving near Hartman and Honeycutt Roads Aug. 26 when she saw a man in a truck with the same California license plate pull over and grab what she thought was a bag of trash. He proceeded to drop-kick it, but it didn’t go very far — that was when Harrison realized it was actually a live dog. The man picked the dog up again by his tail and whirled him around in a circle before kicking him again. Harrison called out to the man, who jumped into his truck and sped off. “And this sweet little dog just crawled right into my truck,” Harrison said, describing how petrified he was laying on her driver’s side floor, refusing to move. Harrison took the dog to veterinarian Steve Waldo at Tempe Pet Clinic who agreed to treat the dog pro bono and told her the dog was a “bait dog” used in dog fighting. The dog — she calls him Phoenix Blue — had scars covering his neck, a ripped ear, was severely emaciated and his tail had been broken an estimated three to five times. Phoenix Blue’s lab tests showed no major diseases, but he was struggling with refeeding syndrome and gastrointestinal symptoms due to prolonged starvation. Harrison said she created a GoFundMe online fundraising campaign to raise money for a reward for any information that leads to the alleged abuser’s arrest and the dismantling of the dog fighting ring. At the time of publication, she had raised $1,950. “I turned to the community for help, and tips started pouring into my inbox from local citizens and local veterinarians about a man and truck that matched who I saw in my encounter,” Harrison said. “This man is known, and it is alleged he runs a dog fighting ring right here in our community. Many people have information and have witnessed the abuse.” She said she provided all the information she had collected to Maricopa Police Department and Animal Control, and “they are on the lookout.” ‘I’m sure it happens around here’ MPD spokesperson Monica Williams said detectives were following up with the case
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The underdogs Has illegal dog fighting made its way back to Maricopa? BY KYLIE WERNER
Some loose dogs in Maricopa wind up at the shelter. Some are reunited with their owners. Others are left to wander the streets. But some, sources say, are trafficked into an illegal dog fighting ring. It wouldn’t be the first time such an enterprise was exposed in Maricopa. Desi Remmie is a “dog lover” who claims a local couple heads a dog fighting ring just south of city limits. She said her friend was invited to a “fighting event” in October and the two began investigating the property themselves. “The place where they train the dogs to fight is on the corner of Teel and Thunderbird [Roads] in the part of Maricopa known as Hidden Valley,” said Remmie, a Villages at Rancho El Dorado resident. “The dogs are trained using bait dogs they get for free, either by picking up dogs offered by owners giving their dogs away or picking up strays or lost pets.” She described the man as tall and skinny H
group with a lot to lose and they will do whatever they deem necessary to protect their profit margins.” The man in the white truck Remmie is not the only Maricopa resident who claims to be aware of this dog and cockfighting ring, and who says she has felt unsafe coming forward about it. In June, Rita Rou said she saw a man at Fry’s Marketplace on John Wayne Parkway wrangling two dogs. “One was a pit bull, and the other was a medium sized dog, not a pit bull, that was obviously being used as a bait dog for dog fighting,” Rou said. “The dog was severely injured with old and new wounds. ... We spotted him throwing peroxide on the dogs through the cages.” Rou, who is from California, said dog fighting was commonplace in her state and because more people move to Maricopa from
and the woman as short and fat, both white, also noting they have a child who is about 9 years old. She said the two are always on the lookout for free dogs and once the bait dogs are killed during training, they are fed to the fighting dogs. “They hold events where they fight dogs and roosters,” Remmie said. She claims Pinal County Sheriff’s Office is aware of the operation. However, PCSO spokesperson Lauren Reimer could not confirm any reports of that type. She encouraged people with information about dog fighting to call the department and help its investigation. “The Sheriff’s Department knows about the fighting ring but won’t remove the dogs or stop the practice unless they have video proof and are pressured to take action,” Remmie said. Remmie cautioned the couple is dangerous. “Be aware that they will move the operation if they feel they are being watched or outed,” Remmie said. “These people are criminals with no conscience so be careful. It is a dangerous
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InMaricopa.com | December 2024
December 2024 | InMaricopa.com
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