Post by dillybar on Oct 15, 2009 11:23:32 GMT -5
Pit bull breeders sue SPCA
CLAIRE TAYLOR • CTAYLOR@THEADVERTISER.COM • OCTOBER 15, 2009
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Two Youngsville men acquitted in 2008 of dogfighting charges are suing the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for euthanizing their pit bulls.
Scott attorney Richard Dalton filed the lawsuit in 15th Judicial District Court on Wednesday on behalf of father and son Floyd Boudreaux and Guy Boudreaux.
They are seeking an undisclosed amount for loss of property, loss of income, and mental and emotional distress.
For about 100 years, the Boudreaux family bred American pit bull terriers, creating an internationally known breed called the Eli bloodline and the Boudreaux bloodline, Dalton said.
On March 11, 2005, the men were arrested and 57 dogs were seized from their Youngsville home after a Louisiana State Police investigation into alleged dogfighting.
They stood trial in October 2008 and were acquitted of all charges.
According to state law, upon acquittal, all items confiscated from the Boudreauxs should be returned to them, Dalton said.
"But all the dogs are dead," he said. "There's no more Boudreaux/Eli breed. The mom and pop direct descendants that would not have been sold are dead. That's 100 years of breeding that's gone."
According to Louisiana Revised Statute 14:102.6, the law enforcement officer making the arrest can lawfully take possession of suspected fighting dogs and "cause them to be humanely euthanized as soon as possible by a licensed veterinarian or a qualified technician."
But the law further allows the owners to post a bond with the court "within 15 days after receiving notice of such seizure..."
The Boudreauxs were arrested on a Friday, Dalton said. They were in jail until Monday and were unable to post a bond on their dogs until then.
By then, the dogs were dead, euthanized by the SPCA with 24 hours of being seized in the police raid, he said.
In testimony during their trial, Trooper Jacob Dickinson, a state police investigator who headed the case, said the SPCA gave investigators no prior notice before euthanizing the dogs.
The Boudreauxs maintain that they bred the pit bulls as pets and show dogs, not for fighting. Family pets, including a champion pit bull owned by a grandson and a pregnant dog, were seized and euthanized, Dalton said.
SPCA CEO Ana Zorrilla could not be reached for comment.
CLAIRE TAYLOR • CTAYLOR@THEADVERTISER.COM • OCTOBER 15, 2009
Read Comments(30) Recommend(1)Print this pageE-mail this articleShare
Two Youngsville men acquitted in 2008 of dogfighting charges are suing the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for euthanizing their pit bulls.
Scott attorney Richard Dalton filed the lawsuit in 15th Judicial District Court on Wednesday on behalf of father and son Floyd Boudreaux and Guy Boudreaux.
They are seeking an undisclosed amount for loss of property, loss of income, and mental and emotional distress.
For about 100 years, the Boudreaux family bred American pit bull terriers, creating an internationally known breed called the Eli bloodline and the Boudreaux bloodline, Dalton said.
On March 11, 2005, the men were arrested and 57 dogs were seized from their Youngsville home after a Louisiana State Police investigation into alleged dogfighting.
They stood trial in October 2008 and were acquitted of all charges.
According to state law, upon acquittal, all items confiscated from the Boudreauxs should be returned to them, Dalton said.
"But all the dogs are dead," he said. "There's no more Boudreaux/Eli breed. The mom and pop direct descendants that would not have been sold are dead. That's 100 years of breeding that's gone."
According to Louisiana Revised Statute 14:102.6, the law enforcement officer making the arrest can lawfully take possession of suspected fighting dogs and "cause them to be humanely euthanized as soon as possible by a licensed veterinarian or a qualified technician."
But the law further allows the owners to post a bond with the court "within 15 days after receiving notice of such seizure..."
The Boudreauxs were arrested on a Friday, Dalton said. They were in jail until Monday and were unable to post a bond on their dogs until then.
By then, the dogs were dead, euthanized by the SPCA with 24 hours of being seized in the police raid, he said.
In testimony during their trial, Trooper Jacob Dickinson, a state police investigator who headed the case, said the SPCA gave investigators no prior notice before euthanizing the dogs.
The Boudreauxs maintain that they bred the pit bulls as pets and show dogs, not for fighting. Family pets, including a champion pit bull owned by a grandson and a pregnant dog, were seized and euthanized, Dalton said.
SPCA CEO Ana Zorrilla could not be reached for comment.