Published: July 06, 2008 05:11 pm            

Seized dogs awarded

Owner fined and arrested

Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Pat Jacobs awarded custody of 37 dogs seized last week in Venus to the Humane Society of North Texas on Thursday.

Jacobs also fined John Charles Phillips, the dogs’ owner, $4,563.28. The fine includes food, board and medical care for the animals, which have been in the HSNT’s custody since June 24.

Moments after Jacobs announced her decision, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Detective Steve Shaw arrested Phillips on a charge of animal cruelty. The charge is a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine up to $4,000, said Jim Simpson, assistant county attorney.

That matter, which is a separate case from Thursday’s custody hearing, will be handled by one of Johnson County’s county courts at law, Simpson said.

Deputies and HSNT officials seized the dogs from Phillip’s property in the 3900 block of Reese Drive. A man working on the property — Phillip’s mobile home had been foreclosed upon — alerted deputies after he saw several dogs tied up in the backyard that appeared to be in distress. Officials located and seized 37 pit bull, pit mix and German shepherd mix dogs. They also found four deceased dogs.

Deputy Bradley Elkins testified he saw several skinny dogs with skin so tight their ribs, hip bones and vertebrae were visible. The dogs appeared to have no food and only stagnant, slimy water infested with larvae to drink, he said. The smell of feces and decaying flesh hit him upon entering the property, Elkins said. He also said the dogs were secured by chains and had inadequate shelter. The presence of tall weeds and sunflowers blocked air circulation making the animal’s condition in the heat even worse, Elkins said.

Pet medications found in Phillip’s home were out of date or had no date stamp, Shaw said.

“From indications of the scarring on the dogs, it appears that at some time they had been fought,” Shaw said during questioning.

Phillips disputed the charges and said he never trained dogs to fight.

Phillips claimed the dogs were show dogs, Shaw told Simpson.

Phillips claimed ownership of 15 of the dogs. He said other people, whom he did not know, left the dogs on his property when he was at work. Phillips said he kept them to try to nurse them back to health.

Financial problems prevented Phillips from properly caring for all the dogs, he said.

“It got to where I couldn’t afford to feed the extra dogs and take from my dogs,” Phillips said. “When I go to feed those dogs, I’m going to feed my babies first, I promise you.”

Phillips said he kept the dogs properly watered but said he was in the process of moving becasue he’d been evicted from his home.

Phillips apologized to the court and asked to keep four of his dogs. Jacobs denied the request and transferred ownership of all the dogs to the HSNT.

All the dogs seized are still alive, said Cynthia Jones, a Fort Worth veterinarian who examined the dogs. HSNT officials are in the process of evaluating the dogs individually and hope some can be adopted out, she said.

        

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