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It’s up to you New York, New York

September 04, 2008, 3:43PM MT

By michael rinker

Members of a Bronx-based dog-fighting ring are scheduled for a hearing September 8 and animal welfare advocates are asking citizens to come to court or email their thoughts and support to prosecutors in the case.

Written by Michael Rinker, Best Friends staff

Alexander Estephane is a family man, one who cares so much for his dogs that he wants the city of New York to return them so he can take them to a better life in the Virgin Islands.

At least that’s what he told a judge last week.

Two months earlier, New York City police raided Estephane’s home in the Bronx and found a dog fight in progress. They’d gotten a tip from New Jersey state police that a dog-fighting ring was based in the home.

Officers found dogs in filthy kennels in the basement of the three-story building in the Morris Heights section of the Bronx. They also found a 9-square-foot fenced pit inside the house, as well as choke-sticks, syringes used to inject the dogs with stimulants, and cash.

Of the 16 dogs there when police arrived June 14, one died from injuries, four were euthanized, four placed with rescue organizations and seven remain at Animal Care and Control of NYC awaiting a decision on their fate.

Estephane, 44, and six other men were arrested for taking part in animal fighting, promoting gambling, and possessing animals for fighting.

The others are Lauritz Acoy, 41, and Eric Boyce, 33, both of the Bronx; Alterik Mason, 29, and Darnell Walker, 34, both of Newark, N.J.; Israel Cuevas, 34, of North Brunswick, N.J.; and Juan Toledo, 38, of Paterson, N.J.

Cuevas, a senior corrections officer at the New Jersey Training School for Boys has been suspended without pay.

The New York Post reported that as the arrested men were being led out of the 46th Precinct station house one of them called out, “I love dogs. I love pit bulls.”

In this case, love not only hurts, but kills.

“It is clear Estephane believes dog fighting is acceptable,” says Regina Massaro of the Spay Neuter Intervention Project (SNIP), a member of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC Animals.

She said that in his initial appearance in Bronx Supreme Court, Estephane dismissed his legal aid attorney and told the judge he had hired private counsel. He then portrayed himself as a family man who cared for his dogs.

“After leaving the courtroom, Estephane laughed and high-fived three individuals who accompanied him to court,” Massaro says.

She is urging citizens who oppose dog fighting to “join together and seek justice.”

It’s easy to attract media attention and rally support in high-profile cases like Michael Vick’s, but the real work in rescuing abused animals and ridding the world of dog fighting is ongoing and often under the radar.

Please attend a hearing for all the defendants, which is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on Sept. 8 at the Bronx Supreme Court, 265 East 161st Street, Bronx, New York. The media have been notified.

“It is important there is a large turnout,” Massaro says. “Send a loud and clear message to the defendants and all who engage in this type of activity: Dog fighting is not a culture, it is a crime!”

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

We need you to show up!

When: Monday, September 8 at 9:00 a.m.

Where: Bronx Supreme Court Criminal Division
265 East 161st Street
Bronx, New York
Phone: 718-618-3100

Public Transportation Directions:
Take the C, D or 4 train to the Yankee Stadium/161st Street Station.
Take the BX 6 or BX 13 to East 161st Street & Sheridan Avenue; the BX 1 to East 161st Street & Grand Concourse.

If you can attend, contact SNIP at SNIPNYC@aol.com and try to bring signs, posters, banners or photographs.

If you can’t attend, please write a letter to the Bronx District Attorney and forward to SNIPNYC@aol.com. Massaro will hand deliver it. Please thank the Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson, Assistant District Attorney Jacob Kaplan and Justice Steven Barrett. Request the defendants be held accountable for their actions and receive the maximum sentence allowed by law.

Also please send thank you notes to:

Deputy Inspector Kevin Harrington
NYC Police Department
46th Precinct - Patrol Officers

Paul Browne
Deputy Commissioner for Public Information
DCPI@NYPD.org

Captain Albert Della Fave
Public Information Officer, New Jersey State Police
LPP4040@gw.njsp.org
Re: Special Investigations Unit

Michael Pastore
Director, Field Operations
Animal Care and Control of NYC
info@nycacc.org
(Michael Pastore personally assisted NYPD and NJ State Police with transport to Animal Care and Control shelters.)

New Hope Department
Animal Care and Control of NYC
info@nycacc.org
(New Hope staff has worked diligently to place the dogs.)

Sharon.Lauchaire@njjjc.org
Public Information Officer
Administration of the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission
(The NJJJC suspended Israel Cuevas.)

Photo by Clay Myers, Best Friends staff

Comments

Posted September 07, 2008, 12:24PM by Pitbull305

People like this caused pitbulls to be banned in Miami-Dade county in Florida. My dog got confiscated and put to sleep because of people like this. He should be locked away in a cage big enough for a dog.

Posted September 08, 2008, 3:43PM by snooper

http://www.thedogplace.org/Articles/Politics/0610.BestFriends.Summit.htm
Best Friend's Animal Sanctuary

Dangerous Dog Summit

A First-Hand Summary by Randi Bolton

On October 27 - 29, 2006, I took the plunge and attended the "emergency" Dangerous Dog Summit, sponsored by Best Friend's Animal Sanctuary (BFAS) held in Lakewood, CO which lies in the shadow of Denver, CO and its breed ban. Prior to attending the summit, I received numerous emails about BFAS but attended the summit with an open mind.

Here is my summary of the 2.5 day summit:

One word - scary. On the evaluation I turned in, I was very honest and let them know I could not support their efforts because of their thoughts on potential model-dog legislation and their 3-point national initiative. (*See Below) I feel that the AKC, UKC, national & local breed clubs, any person who loves their dogs and wants to have the right to keep them, need to band together to develop our own initiative for model-dog legislation to counter what BFAS will be proposing. BFAS has lots of backing, both from volunteers as well as funders, and is very well organized. They are approaching this like a political campaign and actually have two very experienced campaigners in their ranks (Joe Trippi and John Hinko).

The folks from BFAS talked about compromise but when we broke up into discussion groups and started talking about potential legislative points, the BFAS folks kept pushing their initiatives, especially breeder/breeding regulations. It was my impression that they have no intentions of compromising on any of their initiatives.

Debbie Stafford - from Denver - did an impromptu visit. I spoke with her after her speech and offered my assistance to her in fighting the breed ban in Denver, if she is re-elected. She had some great ideas:

1) focus on a single state where you know you have a good chance of winning

2) challenge home rule

3) change "dangerous dog" to "irresponsible owner" legislation

4) tougher consequences (fines, jail time) for people involved in illegal activities or have had a dog they own bite/attack, etc. (depending on the circumstances)

Key takeaways (I won't go into my opinions on these as I believe all or most of us share the same opinions):

Offer up other type of legislation as an alternative to BSL (breed-specific legislation), such as breeder/breeding restrictions, anti-tethering laws (does the name Tammy Grimes ring a bell? Yes, Ms. Grimes attended as a guest speaker. Her motivation behind anti-tethering laws is that she was bitten by a tethered dog)
Formulate breeder/breeding restrictions - didn't get into specifics - did mention mandatory registration of breeders and licensing. (called them "exploitive" breeders). Sounds good on the surface for curtailing BYB, puppy mills but this one really scared me
Consider dogs as part of the family and nothing more - the BFAS person went on to talk about the "cruelty" of dog events. No more dog shows - conformation or performance, folks!
Push guardian language in any type of animal ordinances, do away with dog "ownership"; elevating animals, specifically dogs, to the same level as humans
Craft public service announcements (no focal point at this time) - talked about educating the public about safety around dogs
Push mandatory temperament testing
Push mandatory spay/neuter - any dogs that were not registered breeding dogs would fall into this requirement. Gee, I guess those of us that show in conformation but don't breed would either have to get a breeder's license or stop showing and spay/neuter our dogs.
Push the Brandenburg Edict (** See Below) - this was coming from BFAS

Posted September 06, 2008, 11:3AM by pitbulllover1

He should be put in cage with the rest of those pieces of shit that have no hearts. Real big shot, making a breed that has enough problems a bigger one i cant even rent a place cause of these assholes.

Posted September 08, 2008, 8:50AM by alextami

I MUST SAY PEOPLE LIKE THIS COME FROM A WHOLE IN THE GROUND $$$$$$$$$$$ IS NOT THAT IMPORTANT SHIT GO GET A REAL JOB AND STOP MAKING PITT'S WORK FOR YOU .... I THINK PEOPLE LIKE THIS SHOULD BE THE ONES PUT TO SLEEP AND USE OUR TAX DOLLARS TO GIVE THE DOGS A 2ND CHANCE AT ''DOGTOWN'' NOT PAYING FOR THE ASSHOLS TO BE IN JAIL

THE GOLDSMITH FAMILY
N.F N.Y