Men Arrested for Dog Fighting

Los Angeles: A 41-year-old man from South Los Angeles was arrested and charged with dog fighting, and his accomplice, Arnett Counts turned himself in to authorities.

After the neighbors complained about dogs whining, crying and barking behind a six-foot privacy fence of a residence in the 600 block of 85th Street, the Los Angeles Animal Cruelty Task Force conducted a surveillance.

On March 2007, the ACTF discovered the residents were Arnett Counts, 40, and Walter "Randy" Citizen, who was on formal probation for Possession of a Firearm by a Felon. The ACTF conducted a probation search of their residence and found 17 Pit Bull dogs and four puppies each staked out with a heavy gauge chain around their neck. ACTF officers found that each dog had healed punctures, scars, and tears on their ears, chest, face and forelegs. Some of the dogs had newly healed puncture wounds, and were underweight. Unfortunately neither Citizen or Counts were home at the time of the search.

On April 17, 2007, an extensive investigation lead to the arrest of Citizen, with the L.A. District Attorney’s office filing ten counts of dog fighting.

On May 8, 2007, after three weeks of evading arrest, Arnett Counts surrender to authorities at the Criminal Courts Building in downtown Los Angeles. Counts will be charged with ten counts of owning and training dogs to fight. If convicted he faces up to three years in state prison.

Persons with information about blood sports or mistreated animals are encouraged to call the ACTF, Detective Susan Brumagin, at 213-847-1417. On weekends and during off-hours, call the 24-hour toll free number at 1-877-LAWFULL (1-877-529-3855).