YOUNGSTOWN Dead dog left on agency's doorstep

An investigator said he thinks it's an intimidation attempt.
YOUNGSTOWN -- The humane investigator at Animal Charity believes he's being harassed because of an investigation he's conducting concerning dog fighting in the city.
A dead adult, male Rottweiler was dropped off Wednesday morning at the animal welfare agency office at 3722 South Ave. with several bite marks on its face from dog fighting, humane agent Dave Nelson told police. However, Nelson told police he thought the dog died of a blow to the head with a blunt object.
"It was all chewed up and bludgeoned to death," Nelson said today. "Its skull was smashed."
He said the dog was wrapped in a blanket and had apparently been dumped from a car with two men in it that backed into the parking lot. He gave police a partial description of the car provided by a witness.
Nelson said a woman entered the agency office and asked staff members if they would attend to a dog she said seemed to be sleeping in the agency's parking lot at 10 a.m.
Investigation
Nelson told police he believes the dog carcass was dropped off outside the agency as an attempt to intimidate him because of an investigation he's been conducting into alleged dog fighting on Sunshine Avenue and in the 2600 block of McGuffey Road. He said there are likely two more operations on the South Side.
Nelson said he has been working with agents from the Ohio Department of Agriculture for several months investigating dog fighting. He said the dog fights are confined to the city, with southern parts of the county holding horse fights. In horse fights, two stallions are tied near each other with a mare nearby to induce the two males to fight to the death.
Wagering at the dog fights, aside from cash, is often drugs, such as crack cocaine, he said. Word of mouth lets participants know where the fights will be held -- in an alley, vacant house or back yard, he said.
Nelson said dogs stolen in the city have likely been taken to use for training pit bull dogs to fight. The stolen dogs get thrown into a ring for the pit bull dogs to attack and kill, he said.
Threatening calls
Over the past two weeks, Animal Charity has received several threatening phone calls, which are usually found on the agency's answering machine when staff arrive for work, Nelson said.
The messages have included warnings to "watch your step," he said. "They're trying to scare me. We don't take kindly to that. I will continue to investigate."
Nelson said he has spoken to state Sen. Robert F. Hagan of Youngstown, D-33rd, about legislation to increase the penalty for dog fighting from a fourth to a third-degree felony.
A man convicted of dog fighting and drug trafficking in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court in 2002 received an 18-month prison sentence. Prison records show he served only three months before being granted judicial release.
Nelson said it was the worst case of animal cruelty he'd ever seen.