Posted on 12/03/2004 11:22:35 AM PST by upchuck
A Charleston man accused of breeding and training dogs for underground fights will spend the next 30 years of his life in a cage.
David Tant, labeled by prosecutors as the No. 2 breeder of fighting pit bulls, submitted a guilty plea Monday two days into his jury trial. He had maintained his innocence since his arrest in April, but admitted Monday that he not only bred dozens of pit bulls for fighting, but that he also created a destructive device that injured a railroad surveyor who stumbled onto his property.
An investigation into the surveyor's injury led to the discovery of numerous pit bulls on the property, as well as tools used to train the animals for fighting.
Many of these items - such as treadmills, cattle prods and a "rape box" designed to restrain dogs that are too aggressive for natural breeding - were on display in the courtroom during Tant's change of heart.
"This looks like a chamber of horrors," said S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster, whose office prosecuted the case. "If there were humans being put through this, it would be a capital case.
This is a torture chamber of animals. It is barbaric and cruel beyond description."
The jury saw less than two full days of witness testimony, but the evidence presented was powerful. One juror was moved to tears Saturday after watching a videotape recording of an illegal dogfight.
"It was horrible," another juror said Monday after Tant's plea was entered.
Prosecutor William Frick said even more damning evidence waited in the wings. Tant was in the habit of recording his telephone conversations, and the state planned to let the jury hear some of these talks.
The tape includes discussions with potential customers from the Czech Republic and the Philippines, as well as a complaint from a buyer who was assured a winning dog from Tant's stable.
The evidence overwhelmingly showed that the defendant was not the innocent animal breeder he claimed, Frick said.
"He had no other purpose for those dogs," he said. "They were specifically bred and trained for dog fighting."
Tant faced 41 charges of criminal animal fighting and one charge of assault and battery with intent to kill. Many of these charges were dismissed as part of his guilty plea, and the most potentially serious - one count of assault and battery with intent to kill - was reduced to assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.
He received a total of 30 years in prison — 10 for creating the booby trap that injured the surveyor, 20 for four counts of criminal animal fighting.
He also faces an additional 10 years in prison for criminal animal fighting if he fails to make restitution for the care of the animals confiscated by investigators, medical expenses for the man injured on his property and the cost of moving the trial from Charleston to Greenwood County.
These expenses are expected to exceed $150,000.
The S.C. Attorney General's Office was adamant that Tant receive the harshest possible sentence. Jennifer Evans, one of the prosecutors in the case, called dogfighting "a heinous sport and a heinous criminal activity."
Steve Baker, who was injured by the shotgun-shell powered booby trap on Tant's land, was one of those who wanted Tant to spend as much time in prison as the law would allow.
"I don't think anyone should have to go through what I've been through," Baker said. "I don't want to be around any of this stuff again."
Others saw the trial as an opportunity to make a statement about the consequences for criminal animal fighting in South Carolina.
"Dogfighting is not really on the decline. There's as much dogfighting as there ever has been," said Robert Carlson, the Charleston veterinarian who examined the animals confiscated from Tant. "We need to hang them - hang them high and hang them publicly - so we really make a statement about this."
Not everyone was lining up to demonize Tant. His family and attorney asked for leniency, portraying him as a family man and the primary care provider for ailing parents.
"A severe sentence for a man his age is a life sentence," said Tant's attorney Dale Cobb. "Having plead guilty, he should receive the mercy of the court."
"I don't know what's going to happen with my mother and father's care without him," sister Linda Tant said prior to sentencing. "We know he's made a mistake - he's a good man, he's not the bad man he appears through all of this."
While the final sentence was a small portion of the 205 years faced by Tant, McMaster said the punishment fit the crime.
"I think it's a serious sentence and sends a serious message," he said. "Mr. Tant didn't show those dogs any mercy."
Pit bulls are a cocked and loaded gun, pointed in your direction. If my neighbor owned one, I would not hesitate to destroy it.
I put six of these devils in the ground September 2003. These six evil creatures were on my property with one coming up behind my granddaughter.
The dog began sniffing at the diaper and in the two seconds it took for me to jump the deck railing, the baby was on the ground. A visiting friend retrieved my 12 guage and threw it to me. I made sure the baby was safe with Grandma and headed for the creek, where I heard the pack running. I knelt down 'neath the poplars and listened and watched.
In the bottom of the creek was my German Short Haired Pointer, a superb bird dog, "Mike". Never a more patient and lovable dog, Mike had come to a suffering end, bloodied and torn to bits.
Then, I heard a growl. From inside Mike's carcass, two young pups appeared, their faces and ears glistening blood-red. Behind me I heard a lower growl. The monsters were surrounding me, circling for a better attack position. I killed three in the creek nearest Mike with the first shot. Swinging the shotgun 180 degrees, I layed two more down with two shots. The last I tracked to just short of his owners driveway, where I finished him off.
I carried my dead mother Collie, "Sugar", aged 13, to a cool spot in the woods under an oak she loved. I transported her son, Rex, to the vet for repairs. Almost dead but clinging hard to life, I organised the laundry room into an ICU and sat with him for a month, every two hours cleaning and re-opening wounds so as to wring out the poisons in his body, medicate him and generally keep his spirits up. Hig groin and genitals were torn on either side and my fist would fit into the torn skin left open to drain.
I never found our favorite house cat, "Cloud", though I am positive of her demise. Several times while nursing Rex. I found myself wishing that harm befall the creators of these monster dogs.
Would you believe the owners came through the woods one evening after this occurance and asked me if I had seen their dogs. I told 'em "Yep", and walked away in disgust. The sherriffs deputies took the report, checked their pens, confiscated what dogs were left and closed 'em down. They have since brought in new blood.
Oh, to me, a rope would be too quick and thirty years is just not long enough. Deny this creep internet access from prison, please!
Islam and Pit bulls are definetly comparable. this demonstrates that you do not have a clue what is going on around you. More people have been killed by Muslims this year than have been killed by all dogs since the dawn of creation. You have a typical liberal, American attitude. Do not blame people. Just blame the animals they are responsible. You should be in favor of gun control also. I think guns kill more people than dogs. People are never at fault. The media is obvioulsy doing its job though because fools like you are hysterical. I'm sure Pit bulls have killed as many people as muslims over the years. I didn't say more gentle tha retrievers. I said more stable. How many people have you personally seen killed by dogs. None. You are a pawn of the media. You read about things and don't bother to think or observe. You have to be told because you are a pwan who cannot think. Maybe we should bring those 150,000 troops home from Iraq so they can protect you from dogs.
I wonder how much trouble Tant would have been in if he walk around his yard and put a .22cal into each of his dogs' skulls then called the cops, PETA, and the "Humane" society and told them what he just did?
With the caveat that he just said "dogs" and left the pit bull part out.
Depends how you define 'wrong'. There is nothing 'unpredictable' about them, that's for sure. They behave, more often than not, exactly how they have been bred to behave. The dogs have been selectively bred to be aggressive, and so it is not un-natural for them to be very aggressive. I would just think real hard about whether a dog bred to fight to the death is likely to be the best choice as a pet dog. There are a lot of better companion breeds to choose from.
All breeders of working dogs will tell you to consider the purpose of the breed before placing it in a home, except the apologists that are trying to sugar coat the image of the pit bull in a misguided attempt to save it.
Breeding matters. Think about it. Think about how specialized many of the dog breeds are, due to careful breeding. And then think how those traits will fit into your house.
If I had my way I would dip him in pig's fat and throw him in the hyena cage at the zoo. Then he could no what it feels like to be ripped apart and tortured. Dahmer started off killing animals. People who are cruel to animals, are depraved, evil people that will also harm people. Unfortunately what you decribed would be more humane than what happened to these poor animals.
True, and leaving out the booby-trapped shotgun, would they send him to jail for cruelty to animals?
I am very familar with Pit bulls. their breeding is not quite as black and white as you imply. They were also bred for hunting and other types of useful work. A prperly breed Pit bull is a very stable dog that makes a great family pet. Have you ever seen "The Little Rascals." Their Pit bull did not seem vicious or unstable. The problem the same type of low-life who abuse their children also abuse their dogs. If you abuse any large powerful dog it will become dangerous. pit bulls are not typically aggressive toward people. Anyone who suggests otherwise does not know what they are talking about. A responsible owner will do fine with Pit bulls as long as they do not get their dog from some maniac like the person in this story.
I would hope so, but you may be right. Police need to crack down on people like this. They are the ones threatening the public, not the dogs.
Don't be silly. I once had a Labrador that was a lousy retriever too. Wouldn't bring anything back. The exceptions don't make the rule. The fact is that the dogs have been and continue to be primarily bred by thugs for fighting, or for thugs who want to look badass with a bad dog. That is the desired purpose people are still very much breeding for today. This isn't some long-forgotten job in the dog's ancient history. That kind of breeding doesn't appear or disappear in a generation, and it doesn't disappear entirely by gentle upbringing either.
A responsible owner will do fine with Pit bulls as long as they do not get their dog from some maniac like the person in this story.
Responsible people do get suckered into believing this, and some of them find out the hard way that genetics matters.
I have talked to people more responsible than you who still find some value in the breed. At least they admit the dogs are horribly dog aggressive, and try to act like that isn't really a big problem in most families as long as he never gets loose in the neighborhood.
Me, I'd rather have a dog that wasn't a loose cannon around other dogs.
Good. He deserves it. People like him are why this breed's reputation is as it is. People like him are why there are dangerous pits around.
I I was your neighbor and you destroyed mine for no reason other than your assumptions about the breed you would go to jail.
Mine (an adult APBT) plays with the other dogs in our neighborhood. She isn't dog aggressive at all. It's cats she don't like.
Second that. My best friend, and best man at my wedding, had two pit bulls years ago. I was around them for their whole lives with no problems. They even let me do "Mid Atlantic Championship Dog Wrestling" with them with mock throws and takedowns applied to them.
Molly, the female, stayed in my small apartment for a week when they were puppies, just after they had their ears clipped to keep them from pulling the stays off of each other.
The only problem I had with her was once when I went off without taking her with me. She got upset and pulled the blankets off of my bed, chewed up my headphones and shredded a bunch of papers. Looked like a big mess when I got back. I sat her in the corner, facing the corner as one might do to a small child, and told her to stay there until I fixed the mess. She stayed for 40 minutes. It only took 15 minutes to clean up, but she was so quiet that I forgot I told her to stay. She finally looked around, with a sad-looking expression, at which point I told her she could leave the corner. She came over, licked my hands and lay down at my feet.
It's really all in the breeding, treatment and training.
Sure, they are very strong and very determined dogs. They have the capacity to hurt or even kill people. My truck has an even greater capacity to hurt or kill people, as does my chainsaw, my meat cleaver, my shotgun.... Fighting dogs is a barbaric practice. But don't blame the dogs. They just try to do what they think you want them to do to the best of their ability.
Good for you. She's also a female which works in your favor. Hope she doesn't kill anyone's pet.
That sounds like my Ruby. Well trained, obedient and good natured. She has chewed up some nice shoes though.
I have a younger male who is just as good natured and gentle. Mine have had proper training in obedience and conformation. They are also therapy pets for local nursing homes. Their lines are clean, no gamebreeding and bred for show only, and they are well mannered gentle animals.
You don't know me so don't make personal judgements about how responsible I am. Pit bulls are not "horribly aggressive." I know first hand. I can tell by reading your post that you are ignorant, and that you have no experiences at all with the breed. You probably could not identify a Pit bull if you saw one. Are these groups "responsible."
http://www.ukcdogs.com/breeds/terriers/americanpitbullterrier.std.shtml
"Characteristics"
"The essential characteristics of the American Pit Bull Terrier are strength, confidence, and zest for life. This breed is eager to please and brimming over with enthusiasm. APBTs make excellent family companions and have always been noted for their love of children. Because most APBTs exhibit some level of dog aggression and because of its powerful physique, the APBT requires an owner who will carefully socialize and obedience train the dog. The breed's natural agility makes it one of the most capable canine climbers so good fencing is a must for this breed. The APBT is not the best choice for a guard dog since they are extremely friendly, even with strangers. Aggressive behavior toward humans is uncharacteristic of the breed and highly undesirable. This breed does very well in performance events because of its high level of intelligence and its willingness to work."
United Kennel Club
I guess your expert friends no more than the UKC also. The American Kennel Club registers Pit bulls as American Staffordshire Terriers. Here is their description:
"· The American Staffordshire Terrier was accepted in 1936 for registration in the American Kennel Club stud book as Staffordshire Terriers.
· The American Staffordshire Terrier are intelligent and excellent guardians.
So you want to own a American Staffordshire Terrier?
Over the past 50 years, careful breeding has produced today's American Staffordshire Terrier, which is affectionate, reliable, and an especially good dog for children.
The American Staffordshire Terrier is a happy, outgoing, stable, and confident dog that makes a wonderful family pet.
The American Staffordshire Terrier is adaptable to country or city living. The only thing that will break his spirit and his heart is lack of his owner's fond attention."
AKC web-site
Pit bulls are often made into police dogs. I guess they don't need a good temperment to do that though since the police want their dogs to attack children. (this is called sarcasm)
You say most people who own these dogs are drug dealers. I guess Teddy Roosevelt, Helen Keller, RCA (their mascot was and is a Pit bull), General George Patton, Fred Astaire, Robert Mitchum, and Stubby (the most decorated dog in American military history who captured a Geman spy and save and entire regiment in WWI; he was on Time Magizine in the years following his heroics) are all drug dealers. The fact that you think most people who own the dogs are drug dealers demonstrates that you are just out of it.
I know the temperment test you're citing. It's the test administered by the AKC. I was surprised to find that Goldens actually bite more, and have less stable temperments than even Rotties or Pits. HOWEVER... when a Pit bites you, it does a lot more damage. Personally, I'm often more afraid of terriers than pits.
Being bird dogs, Goldens have been bread for the 'soft mouth'. I read somewhere that pit bulls, and rotts, have a bite strength four times that of even a German Shepherd.
I tend to agree with the "no bad dogs, just bad owners" idea, but pits are bred from four different dogs which were all bred for sport-fighting. Couple that with irresponsible breeders, lack of training, abuse and the thug-mystique, and you've got a dangerous pup on your hands.
Still, one of the sweetest dogs in my neighborhood (other than my own little princess, you can see her in all her glory on my profile page) is a pit bull, while the most obnoxious, and dangerous, is a psychotic little Mini Schnauzer (aptly named Zsa Zsa...) The pit keeps to his yard, the schnauzer has actually menaced my toddler ON MY OWN property.
It's this Thug Life crap that breeds (no pun intended) a lot of misery. And I agree, Presa Canarios now have the mantle of being this decades Big Bad. The media just jumped at the chance to sensationalize the Big New Danger, and the breed is no worse than a rott or a GS or Mastiff.
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