Project Hope - In Defense of Animals

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Project Hope Seizes 61 Pit Bulls
Account by Doll Stanley, 2-22-5

On February 7, 2005 I received a call from a Mississippi Narcotics Bureau (MNB) agent. In serving search warrants for narcotics on two adjacent properties, he had discovered fifty-four pit bulls on one property and nine on the other, as well as treadmills, a "breeding block" (which I call a "rape block"), and other items that he believed were for the training and breeding of dogs for fighting. The Chickasaw County Sheriff's Department gave him Project Hope's number to contact me for help.

I drove out to Houston, Miss. to lend him a hand. What I discovered would have been paralyzing if I weren't equipped with a built-in "it can be done" attitude. The nine dogs on the one property were enough of a challenge. The three pups were darling, though they were covered in feces-scented mud. The six adult dogs were clearly excited and relieved to see us. We walked around the property to see if other dogs were hidden in the woods.

The resident of this land said that all of the dogs, save one, belonged on the other property. He must have smelled trouble because he quickly surrendered the dogs to us. He led the MNB agent to a hand-written pad with "Cajun Rules" for fighting matches. I would later have to release "his" one dog to him because we couldn't prove the dogs were his, or that one of the people that was in and out of his trailer didn't leave the pad. However, he remains a suspect in our minds.

Across the road, dogs chained to axles buried in the four to six foot span between them. Lunging menacingly at one another, the stiff collars securing them to their chains had worn both hair and flesh from most of their necks. Even most of the juveniles (who were confined by twos in pens, or crowded into two of the three standing cages) had scarred legs and heads. Jerry Heair, the property owner and primary caretaker of the dogs, was now incarcerated on narcotics charges. As this was his third criminal offense and he was in violation of probation, he had been transported to Rankin County's penal facility.

I immediately documented the presence of two slat treadmills, a "flirt pole," and a rusted metal crate that contained a stuffed puppy with a stuffed pony lying on top. In the yard were two "breeding blocks," where a female's head would be forced through a metal ring so that a "stud" could mount her. The presence of these items - along with the three breaking sticks, pit bull books that included photos of breeding and fighting, photos of dogs covering the walls, bottles of medicine and jars of "power" supplements - supported our decision to seize the dogs.

I called Sonya and Heather at the sanctuary and asked them to join me at the site as soon as possible. The Director of a regional shelter came to tell me that she was officially forbidden to assist in any way, but that she would return after work to help us move dogs. That evening Sonya, Heather and I documented the number and condition of the dogs, and then went to work loading those that we could hold. Sheila arrived with helpers just before dark and loaded a few dogs in her vehicle. Some of the dogs were lightly sedated to prevent aggression during our trip, and still two dogs ate through their carriers to get at the others. At 12:35 a.m., we arrived at Dr. Rowans' in Baldwin, where I left the most aggressive dog and another one that displayed a severe boredom disorder. I needed a veterinary report from Dr. Rowan to support the seizure of the rest of the dogs.

While I had the seizure order for the dogs, the Sheriff's Investigator did not provide a seizure warrant for the paraphernalia. Debra told me she had a contact at the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), a dog-fighting expert by the name of Sandy Christianson. I contacted him and he graciously agreed to fly in and assist us.

We spent February 10 planning for the removal of the rest of the dogs and the equipment. I had already driven to Grenada and to the Mississippi Animal Rescue League (MARL) in Jackson to drop off the dogs I had seized. I'd been in bed for only twenty-five minutes when I had to get up and go to Memphis to meet Sandy's plane. I felt like I had started a fight with the neighborhood bully, and my big brother was coming to my aid.

Meanwhile Debra Boswell of MARL faxed me documents from one of her prior fighting cases. She too was in contact with the MNB agent, and had faxed him information on what to look for and seize in such a case.

In preparation for moving the dogs, IDA and HSUS purchased sixteen new carriers and blankets for the comfort of the dogs. Drs. Marble and Abernethy agreed to help us with the dogs and Debra had some as well, but there were still twenty-three dogs to move and I'd exhausted resources for their care. Taking one or two dogs to other shelters would require driving long distances, making that option logistically impossible. Then Sandy came through again. He contacted the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in New Orleans. They agreed to send a team to aid us, and would take at least twenty dogs with them. The Louisiana SPCA team arrived as Sandy and the Sheriff's Office completed the seizure of evidence and I was winding up the removal of the dogs I was to transport. It was like seeing the Calvary ride over the hillcrest as you loaded your last bullet. Everything was coming together. My "it can be done," stick-your-neck-out MO had worked again. That evening we left with all but one animal, Crazy, a 14-year-old dog who was suffering from cancer and was allowed to stay with Cheryl Heair, the estranged wife of the now incarcerated Jerry Heair.

The next few days were consumed with documenting the dogs' condition and dealing with numerous unforeseen health crises. Pups broke out with parvo, an elderly and very ill dog had to be euthanized, and Heair's "foundation stud" gave us a genuine anxiety attack as his stomach inexplicably ballooned over night. Thankfully, he recovered.

I staved off the media's requests for information on the case, and stayed under the radar to sustain our control over who might spring up to claim the dogs. On February 11 someone had lined crates up beside the drive in preparation for moving dogs. A fellow from Mo. was there with a rented a truck. We naturally assumed that he wanted his identity to remain secret.

On February 17 a hearing was held to determine if Cheryl Heair and a relative named Kenneth Coleman were qualified to regain custody of the twenty-something dogs they requested be returned to them. I had calculated that if we seized the dogs under MS State Statute (SS) 97-41-19 (the dog fighting statute) we would probably be forced to hold the dogs until Heairs' trial. I therefore sought their seizure under MS SS 97-41-2, which allowed us to immediately seize the dogs and limited the petition period for a hearing to five days. Any party seeking to claim the dogs would have to show proof of relationship to the animals and put up a bond within that time. Cheryl Heair and Kenneth Coleman were the only ones to do this.

Today, February 22, Judge Gary Turner granted Cheryl Heair and Kenneth Coleman full guardianship of all but twelve of the dogs. They have been ordered returned, but under my supervision. As I told the media, professionally abiding by the order and expediently returning the dogs did not require our satisfaction with the decision. All those who have handled, evaluated, and cared for these dogs concur that they pose a lethal threat to any animal with whom they may come into contact. Dr. Marble described the trance-like state one of the dogs entered while attacking a client's dog that got too close while being moved to the exercise yard.

Sandy's report to the judge included evidence from his study comparing the bloodlines of the dogs with those who have been advertised as winners in the world of dog fighting. We can only hope that Jerry Heair, AKA "Mississippi Hot," is tried and convicted by a grand jury of keeping, breeding and selling dogs for the purpose of fighting them. We do have some aces up our sleeves.

As some of you know, I often write my diary entries to Mom. I dedicate this in memory of Mom, who died February 10 while I was preparing to wind up the seizure of these dogs and was unable to go home.

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