LORANGER, La. (WGNO) —On April 12, the United States Department of Justice announced the sentence for a man who pleaded guilty to possession of an animal for use in an animal fighting.
According to The United States Department of Justice, 61-year-old Clay Turner possessed and trained dogs to participate in animal fighting.
Turner was sentenced to three years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $1000 fine for possession of an animal in an animal fighting venture.
Documents show that in October 2017, a federal law enforcement team consisting of agents from the Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and other agencies executed a search warrant on Turner’s residence in Loranger.
During the search, 33 dogs were found on the property, many of which had injuries, scarring and fresh wounds according to reports.
Additionally, on telephone calls taken by court-authorized wiretaps, Turner and others discussed gambling on dog fights, arranging and participating in dog fights, sponsoring and exhibiting dogs in dog fights, training and housing dogs for the purposes of dog fighting, commerce in and transport of fighting dogs, and the promotion of dog fights.
Here is what law enforcement found during the search according to court documents:
• a water tank equipped to force dogs to swim to condition them for fighting;
• an electrified prod used in conjunction with the water tank;
• two treadmills equipped to force dogs to run to condition them for fighting;
• ledgers containing the weights and prices of dogs;
• “break sticks” and “flirt poles,” training equipment intended to enhance dogs’ jaw
strength;
• pedigrees for the fighting dogs Turner bred; and
• photographs of dogs in inhumane conditions.