NO SECOND CHANCES
NJ Aid for Animals was in court yesterday (9/8/09) to represent
the three pitbulls that were victims in a dog fighting ring.
The now convicted animal abuser, Khalil Spikes, pleaded guilty to
a 3rd degree crime of "Fighting or baiting animals....keep a place
to be used for purpose of fighting or baiting a living creature;
permit or suffer a place owned by him; for amusement or gain;
cause or permit fighitng or baiting a living animal, knowingly
own, train, possess a living amimal for fighting".
We were given the opportunity to either receive full restitution
which we declined if Mr.Spikes would get 3 to 5 years in jail, but
a plea bargain was reached instead for full restitution and five
years probation.
Mr. Spikes has a long history of contacts with the authorities and
it won't be long before he is in jail of his own accord or in
violation of probation by not paying restitution.
Although three of the seven dogs are now healthy and with loving
owners, the millions of other dogs that have suffered and are
suffering at the hands of dog fighters is unbearable to think of.
PLEASE IF YOU KNOW THERE IS DOG FIGHTING GOING ON, CONTACT YOUR
LOCAL POLICE, SPCA OR NJAFA.
REMEMBER THE HSUS OFFERS $5,000 REWARD FOR INFORMATION ON DOG
FIGHTING.
IF YOU WANT TO COME TO SALEM CO. COURT ON OCT 27 AND SHOW YOUR
SUPPORT FOR NJAFA PLS COME!WE WILL BE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF ALL
THE POOR PITBULLS THAT NEVER WERE THIS LUCKY AND NEVER GOT "A
SECOND CHANCE".
NOEL, MIRACLE AND CHANCE HAVE HAD THEIR DAY IN COURT... WHAT OF
ALL THE OTHERS????????? |
NJ - Khalil Spikes pleads guilty in Penns Grove
dog-fighting case
by Randall Clark, Today's Sunbeam
Tuesday September 08, 2009, 3:04 PM
SALEM -- He won't be serving jail time, but a plea agreement
Khalil Spikes has reached here will see him repaying more than
$9,000 for
the care of several animals rescued from a dog-fighting ring in
his Penns Grove home last November.
Spikes, 29, of Sheffield Drive in Willingboro, pleaded guilty to a
third-degree count of allowing a place for dog-fighting during an
appearance in Salem County Superior Court on Tuesday.
He will be sentenced Oct. 27 to five years probation in addition
to the restitution, prosecutors said.
Seven abused pit bulls were allegedly seized from the Lanning
Avenue residence in the borough on Nov. 16, as well as quantities
of cocaine,marijuana and a .22 caliber handgun, according to
authorities.
Spikes and two other suspects were charged with 31 counts of
animal cruelty in the case, among other drug- and weapons-related
offenses.
Four healthy dogs were subsequently taken to an area animal
shelter,where sources said they were presumably euthanized.
The three in the worst shape, however, were treated at a Mullica
Hill veterinary hospital, their bills paid for by the non-profit
group New Jersey Aid For Animals (NJAFA).
NJAFA founder and president Kathy McGuire, who led the effort to
save the dogs, sat with her notepad in court Tuesday as an
advocate for the
animals, she said.
"I'm here representing these dogs as their witness," McGuire
explained."Because they don't speak for themselves."
She said the vet bills for that first day alone were more than
$1,000,adding Spikes will be held responsible for such costs.
Two of the rescued pit bulls, named Miracle and Noel, have since
been flown to an animal sanctuary in Texas. The third, Chance, has
been
adopted by a loving owner in a home without other animals or
children,McGuire said.
Once called Scarface in the dog-fighting circuit, Chance bore the
wounds
and gashes of his brutal kill-or-be-killed encounters. Miracle was
likely
used for training and Noel for breeding.
In what she said was her seventh appearance in court here, McGuire
recounted the doctor's unconvincing prognosis for one of those
dogs,
teetering on the brink of death when it arrived.
"They told me to put the dog to sleep," McGuire whispered as court
was in session. "I said, 'Do whatever we can to keep him alive.
Whatever it takes.'"
Animal control investigators apparently found fresh blood on
basement walls in the Penns Grove home, dog-fighting equipment and
animals
with scarring as well as recent bite marks.
They were called out to the scene Nov. 16 after receiving
complaints that one of the dogs was hanging over a fence by its
chain. It had apparently jumped over and was stuck dangling there,
authorities said.
Salem County First Assistant Prosecutor William Brennan said
previously
that some of the equipment seized in a search included canine
medications, break-sticks used to open the jaws of dogs, a radio
to
cover noise and a scale to weigh the animals.
According to McGuire, when Spikes' sentencing date rolls around in
October, she will be there once again, but this time with Chance
in tow,putting a face to what she called unspeakable acts of
cruelty.
Not everyone seemed thrilled with the idea.
"What happens if she bring my dog in and he jumps all over me
because he's happy to see me?" Spikes asked his attorney outside
of
the courtroom. "That's some terrible (stuff), bringing my dog in
here."
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Poor
Hef.....pitbull
from Camden City, NJ that was in his own yard when a
neighbor decided to she wanted to "play with
Hef" and got bitten.
Hef was minding his own business and his owners
are good owners even allowing NJ Aid for Animals to take
him to be neutered
almost two years ago.
By law,
Hef had to be taken by animal control to Camden
Co. Animal Shelter where he had to be quarantined for
the last ten days.
Today, June 30,
Hef's owners had no money to spring him or
transportation to go get him. Kathy McGuire, our
president and founder of
NJAFA, took the owners to the shelter to pick up
Hef and paid the $l00 to spring him AND $l5 for
his rabies shot.
Poor
Hef contracted kennel cough at the Camden Co.
Animal Shelter, lost five pounds and is not eating at
all. He had to go home with antibiotics.
Hef's owners love him and try to do the best they
can. He may not live in the most
glamorous home but his owners do love him. They
could have left him there to be euthanized.
Hef is home again tonight.
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BUTTERS IS IN NEW JERSEY
Butters, the pitbull was transported from Toledo, Ohio
to Sicklerville, NJ on November 6.
Pitbulls are not welcome in Toledo, Ohio where the dog
warden makes it very difficult for these animals to
exist.
A local rescue group in Ohio contacted NJ Aid for
Animals about helping to rehome Butters who is a
lovely and friendly pit. Butters had been owned by
someone who died and left poor Butters all alone.
Butters was sitting by his dead owner when they found
him. He had a severe case of mange and is finally
healing up.
Through our contacts we were able to locate a local
rescue who agreed to take Butters ....but how to get
him here on a ten hour trip?
Our Advisory Board member, Karen Ash who lives in
Toledo was driving to NJ for our Annual Board Meeting
so the fit was perfect. Why not kill two birds with
one stone....drive Butters to his new home and attend
the board meeting at the same time?
What a sight for sore eyes when they arrived....over
500 miles just the two of them in the car together
Karen driving and Butters sitting on the seat behind
her slobbering all over her shoulder and looking out
the window, both arrived happy. Butters is safe and
secure.....see his smiling face?
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Yvette,
Dora and Coco
OH BOY
NEW DIGS!!!!
 This is a gang in Camden NJAFA "takes care of"...Yvette,
the owner, (who just came out of the hospital and
cannot separate two large dogs that have frequent
altercations; Dora,
the mastiff, who we had spayed and even supplied a dog
house for her (after taking off the back fence just to
fit it in) and replacing the fence....
Add to the mix, Coco, the
pitbull, who was dumped on Yvette by her nephew because
Coco was too "old" and he
didn't want her anymore. Yvette did NOT want to take
Coco to the shelter and have her put down and all she
needed
 was a "cage" to keep them separated.
 Because
of our limited funds for our summer program services due
to our major fundraiser of the year being cancelled, we
did not have money to purchase a new crate.
Thanks
to fellow pb lover, JR who donated AND DROVE the two
very large crates for Dora and Coco to our house so we
could deliver them to Camden the next day.Thanks to John
and so many others for reaching out to NJAFA. Yvette is
going to help NJAFA at the next rabies clinic in Camden
to say "thanks".
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 Little
Bridgette found wandering the streets of Trenton....what
a sweet little girl she is and now she is in her forever
home!!! |
 This
is Coco.. ..NJAFA
received a call from a woman in OHIO about having to
give this beautiful baby up.. We contacted a sanctuary
in Ohio and Coco is living out the rest of her life
there. She is blind and has a severe cleft palate. |
 This
is Appollo and Sebastian. A very nice lady fostered
them for us until they could go to their new rescue
place in North Jersey and to their forever home. They
were found in Trenton and brought to NJAFA |
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PIT BULL STORY - click here
-
Power Point Show click here |
|
3/30/08 - Fill the Pit in
Your Heart Event a Success -
What an awesome event. Everyone said the chocolate was
fabulous and they ate too much!!! NJAFA raised tons of
money.. more pictures coming.
Click here for details.... |
Baltimore
Chosen for Pit Bull Fundraiser due to Pending Breed
Specific Legislation
January 31, 2008 — Pinups for Pitbulls, the nonprofit
organization founded by pinup model Deirdre 'Little
Darling' Geurin dedicated to saving the lives of abused
and abandoned pit bulls, will be holding a silent art
auction and raffle on Friday, February 22, 2008 at the
Sidebar in Baltimore. The event will promote the sale of
the 2008 'Pinups for Pitbulls Calendar' featuring models
and their pit bulls, as well as featuring Baltimore
bands The Dead End Boys, Empire by Design, The Side
Affects and Pessimist Parade. Wilmington artist Ric
Frane has also donated prints of his artwork for
auction. Pinups for Pitbulls has raised nearly $10,000
from 2008 calendar sales and fundraisers to assist
bully-friendly rescues with funding for dog crates,
food, blankets, foster care and transportation.
The city of Baltimore has been chosen as the final
fundraising location for the 2008 Pinups for Pitbulls
calendar to raise awareness about pending breed-specific
legislation. If passed, this would declare all pit bulls
as "dangerous" solely because of their breed. The bill
would require owners to keep the dogs caged, muzzle them
outside cages and post property signs that read "Pit
Bull Dog" or "Beware of Dog." Violators would face up to
$1,000 in fines. The undue stress and heartache families
of these dogs face, due to exorbitant licensing and
extreme care requirements, is cause for some to say the
legislation is unconstitutional.
Pinups for Pitbulls is dedicated to helping homeless pit
bulls and removing the stigma from the breed because of
irresponsible and abusive pet owners. Pit bulls are
loyal family members, have been war heroes and American
icons such as Petey from the Litte Rascals, The RCA dog
Nippy as well as Helen Keller's service dog.
Little Darling has been featured in broadcast interviews
about her organization and its mission on CBS-3/KYW TV
and the Philadelphia morning show Cn8 as well as print
interviews in the Philly Daily News, The Trentonian and
more. For more information and to see a list of rescues
that have benefited from the organization's efforts,
please visit www.pinupsforpitbulls.com or email Little
Darling at pinupsforpitbulls@gmail.com. A complete press
kit will be available soon.
Pinups for Pitbulls is not an actual shelter or rescue
so donations are not tax deductible |
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