A major federal sting has arrested the alleged mastermind of a massive dog-fighting operation and sheds light on a “cruel” illegal blood sport that inflicts horrific wounds, pain and suffering on animals for profit. It was a hit.
Bruce Lowe Jr., 45, is suspected by law enforcement to be the “leader” of “one of the top five dog fighting breeders in the United States,” but investigators believe he was arrested in New Jersey in connection with dog fighting. He was arrested last week after executing search warrants at three properties in the state. A network that is considered to operate on an international scale.
He was later charged with second-degree extortion, second-degree conspiracy, second-degree money laundering, animal cruelty, dog fighting for results, falsifying records, and six other charges. Seven of his alleged co-conspirators were also arrested and charged.
Meredith Lee
Officials announced Friday that more than 120 dogs were found at one of the Cumberland County properties linked to the Lowe case, including one missing a leg and others with open wounds, deep scars and swelling. .
Most of them suffered from untreated injuries, were shaking and showed signs of abuse or neglect, authorities said.
“I honestly don’t even dare to imagine the hell these dogs endured,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said, adding that the dogs had been “tortured and abused.”
Investigators found two dead dogs in the arena and also noticed blood stains on the walls, according to court documents obtained by The Post.
“When you’re doing something on this scale, I think there’s no doubt that they’re selling well nationally and internationally,” Adam Parascandra, vice president of the Humane Society of the United States, told the Post. Told.
Dog fighting is illegal in all 50 states, but a “cruel and ruthless” underground gambling operation rooted in animal abuse is rampant, supported by breeders, trainers and spectators.
They are especially popular in the Southwest and Northeast, said Parascandra, who accompanied police to help rescue surviving dogs from a New Jersey property.
“There was also a pregnant woman. [females]”The dogs were lactating, some were severely underweight, many had fairly extensive scarring, some had open wounds and swelling,” he said of the rescue operation.
“Some suffered untreated injuries such as broken bones and fractures, and some were limping.”
The United States is also one of the major global sellers of “fighting dogs” to countries including Poland, Bulgaria, South Africa and Mexico, Parascandra said.
Meredith Lee
“A lot of kennels around the world buy from the United States,” he told the Post.
“Generally, the public does not understand how many organizations are involved in these dog fighting networks and their organized criminal nature.
“It’s something that’s being talked about in many different ways, not only domestically, but also among dog fighters internationally.”
Police said Law, known as “Hollywood,” ran a dogfighting operation under the trade name Royal Bull Kennels, and that he and some of his co-conspirators posted about related sales and posted information on Facebook and Facebook. They reportedly exchanged videos of the fight on a private messaging group.
They used code names such as “Hunting Dogs” and “Concert,” industry jargon for dog fights and organized dog fights to avoid detection by authorities, court documents allege.
Lowe and his attorney, former Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon Tyner, did not return calls from The Post on Thursday.
On its website, RBK does its best to assert that its operations are legitimate.
“We do not break any laws!” reads the disclaimer.
“All of our dogs are used for legal activities including, but not limited to, fitness training, weight pulling, obedience, treadmill racing, and other non-illegal activities.
“We have never owned a single dog, either before or since we owned it, that has been knowingly used in any illegal activity. We do not condone the use of dogs in any illegal activity. ”
But charging documents suggest there are holes in that claim. Police said Lo was corresponding with a potential customer, an undercover police officer, who had expressed interest in purchasing the dog when he involuntarily turned himself in.
Lowe told agents that authorities claim he held 61 “concerts” last year alone, and detailed one such event.
Authorities also charged Lowe’s mother and business partner, Terry A. Lowe, 67. his son, Bryce J. Rowe, 20; and his son-in-law Roosevelt Hart IV, 29, were indicted on a variety of charges, including dog fighting, extortion, and money laundering.
State Police Chief Col. Patrick Callahan said the tip and subsequent undercover investigation led to “the largest seizure and removal of a dog fighting ring in New Jersey history.”
“His dog fighting pedigree is well known and he is very popular in the dog fighting community,” State Police Detective Dominic Quartuccio said in a sworn statement. ”, he added. dog fighting. ”
Blood sports can be very lucrative for owners and spectators who are likely to put away their “main wallet” by betting large sums of cash on matches. Parascandra said breeders also make a lot of money from “side bets” and selling dogs bred to fight.
“The big, well-known, popular breeders and sellers are definitely making hundreds of thousands of dollars each year,” Parascandra told the Post.
According to a police affidavit, during the investigation, Coy Dickerson, a “world-renowned hunting dog trainer,” chained the dogs to his car and drove them around the property’s trails, monitoring the dog fights on multiple occasions. It is said that he was doing so.
“Mr. Coy had the dog chained up in his yard, living in a barrel, and the dog was kept in a kennel around a trailer on the property,” Platkin said at a news conference Friday.
“We know of multiple instances where dogs have been strapped to ATVs and forced to travel at speeds as high as 14 miles per hour, often for long periods of time.
“At least once it lasted more than an hour.”
According to Parascandra, the dogs born at the facility are kept on chains from eight weeks old, and are only allowed outside for conditioning or to fight.
“Even winning dogs often come home with major wounds and broken bones, only to be returned to heavy chains without treatment, even for breeding purposes,” he told the Post. .
“Most of these dogs are specially bred this way and start out with the expectation that their owners will use them in fights, so they end up being given heavier breeds from eight to 12 weeks of age. We spend most of our lives in chains. ”
For dogs unlucky enough to find themselves in such a situation, it’s a “terrible” life in every sense of the word.
Parascandra said dogs are typically released only for breeding, conditioning or fighting purposes.
“Even if there are no injuries from dog fighting, the suffering of dogs that are given only shelter barrels and are largely ignored continues,” he says.
The fights are “violent” and often end with the dog sustaining “severe injuries.” The average battle lasts between 30 and 90 minutes, but in some cases it can last longer.
Meredith Lee
“Dogs that perform well but survive severe injuries are simply put back on the leash, even for breeding purposes,” he added.
Mr Parascandra said he had personally seen footage of industry insiders in the US “cheering” as a dog with two broken front legs moved inside the pit and tried to continue fighting.
He said the dogs rescued from the New Jersey property were then treated and placed in shelters and rescue centers for adoption.
Despite poor treatment from their keepers, most animals kept for combat purposes are not “humanely aggressive” and the majority of rescued animals are judged to be suitable for containment. .
“They all greeted us with wagging tails, but they really wanted love and attention,” he said.
