Man accused of fatally stabbing Pitbull
ST. LUCIE COUNTY,FL. — A dog owner is accused of stabbing his pitbull more than two dozen times and striking it several times with a tire iron before leaving his body at a canal earlier this month, the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office said.Joseph Grady Barker, 35, of the 7400 block of Brookline Avenue, Fort Pierce (pictured right), told investigators he had grown tired of his pet's incessant barking and did not consider the beating inhumane, according to his arrest affidavit. The Sheriff's Office charged him Friday with animal cruelty in the death of the 3-year-old dog named Sam.
On Jan. 8, Barker paid a friend $20 to drive him and Sam to the L-20 Canal east of Kings Highway, his affidavit states. Barker stepped out of the vehicle, struck the pit bull on the head several times with the tire iron and tossed him into the canal. The blows did not kill Sam, who swam out of the water and attempted to climb the embankment, according to the affidavit. Barker caught Sam and used a knife to stab him 26 times in his neck, the Sheriff's Office said.
A family member who learned about the incident found Sam's body at the canal on Jan. 10 and notified authorities.
Barker was being held at the St. Lucie County Jail on Friday without bail.
Two arrested for Dog Fighting
13 Dogs Confiscated, 1 Dog Euthanized
BAKER COUNTY, FL. -Two men have been arrested in connection with a dog fighting operation. It happened Saturday in Sanderson, about 10 miles west of Macclenny. According to a police report, deputies responded to a possible burglary in a home in the 9000 block of Circle G. What they found instead, they said, was a dog fighting ring.
Deputies took 13 pitbulls from the home. Georgia Monfort with the Baker County Animal Control said one of the dogs was bleeding so badly that it had to be euthanized at the scene.
"We have one dog with alot of injuries on the backside from him running, trying to get away," she said.
Animal control officers say the dogs were used as bait dogs in the illegal fighting rings. They are mostly tame dogs, that they said would not fight back.
"The bait dog won't hurt the money dog," Monfort said. "Basically, they spend most of their time running."
Dr. Phil Gets Involved
On the Dr. Phil Show yesterday, he discussed the topic of animal abuse and dog fighting. I was proud to see Dr. Phil portray our dogs as victims. He also exposed the "coward" who sees dog fighting as a sport. Please show your support on this matter so we can start to see the changes our breed so desperately deserves.
Help us help them...
Justice: A Voice for the Unheard
Please take the time to read the details of the actual story from the owner of the dog that was gunned down...
Jeff Daniels, owner of Bella. On April 29, an ambassador to our breed, American PitBull Terrier, was shot and killed by Cabarrus County Animal Control.