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Dogman Tant Convicted



 
 
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  #1  
Old November 24th 04, 02:40 PM
Tee
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Default Dogman Tant Convicted

Here's an update on the man, David Ray Tant, whose 47 Pit Bulls were
confiscated several months ago. Each animal fighting charge in South
Carolina carries a 5 year prison sentence a $5,000 fine.

I'm posting the link to this article but also the full text below since this
newspaper makes you register to view its articles online.

http://www.charleston.net/stories/11...c_24tant.shtml

The article refers to aggravated assualt and someone being hurt. The
details a

"The assault charge is related to the shooting of land surveyor Steven
Baker, who was hit with a blast of birdshot pellets April 7 after he came
into contact with what authorities call a "directional mine" on Tant's
County Line Road property. The device went off when Baker triggered a
tripwire."

Its also worth noting, for anyone who doesn't know of Tant, that he's
supposedly considered a top dogman. His dog, Tant's Yellow, is the
progenitor of a bloodline that reportedly has the second highest number of
wins on the fight circuit.
--
Tara


Story last updated at 6:54 a.m. Wednesday, November 24, 2004


Tant's fighting dogs put to sleep

Guilty plea paved way for euthanasia

BY HERB FRAZIER
Of The Post and Courier Staff
Promptly at 8 a.m. Tuesday, the grim task began on Leeds Avenue. By noon, 49
dangerous pit bull dogs, including eight puppies, were dead.

The decision to kill the dogs came hours after pit bull breeder David Ray
Tant was sentenced in Greenwood Monday to 40 years in prison for animal
fighting.

Charles Karesh, president of the John Ancrum SPCA in Charleston, talked with
attorneys to ensure that Tant's guilty plea cleared the way to euthanize the
dogs, too vicious to be pets.

As part of his plea, Tant relinquished the dogs that Charleston County
sheriff's deputies seized this spring from his Ravenel dog pens.

"Knowing how these dogs were bred and raised and observing them over the
last seven months, we knew they could not be placed in the public," Karesh
said. "Our prayer is that these pit bulls have gone to a world where they
will not be drugged and made to fight."

Tant's conviction is a setback for the underground world of illegal
dogfighting around the country, Karesh said. But it adds value to other dogs
from Tant's championship bloodline, begun two decades ago with a dog named
Tant's Yellow.

Tant can get 10 years off his sentence if he pays the SPCA more than
$150,000 for care of the dogs at its North Charleston kennels.

News of Tant's sentence rippled across the country, prompting responses on
Internet sites of groups that despise or defend dogfighting.

In Del Mar, Calif., Alison L. Gianotto, founder and director of 3-year-old
Pet-Abuse.Com, celebrated Tant's sentence. "I have never, never seen a
sentence like this before," Gianotto said. "This sentence sends a clear
message that this country is tired of (dogfighting), and we are not going to
accept that as part of our culture."

Pet-Abuse.Com monitors animal abuse cases in five countries and, in some
cases, is prepared to gather evidence for police, she said.

Tant's conviction "might take some dogs off the market, but there are more
dogs out there," she said. Gianotto agreed that other dogs bred by Tant will
become more valuable. But in the secret world of dogfighting, they won't be
for sale on eBay, she joked.

Tant's conviction was no laughing matter Tuesday on the Southern Gameboy
Forum where an anonymous message said Tant's detailed records filled the
prosecution's pool of evidence against him.

"Don't give the authorities videos of yourself engaging in an unlawful
activity, don't give them audio recordings of yourself discussing unlawful
activities, don't give them a hard drive full of every e-mail you've ever
sent, or received," said the posting. "Don't give the authorities your dog
registrations, breeding records, magazines ... future plans."

Tant's 40-year sentence was too much, according to another posting. "I know
of people who have killed children that got less time," said an anonymous
writer.

Another dogfighting supporter wrote: "They get to convict a dog breeder
(dogfighter to them ) for more time than most child rapists, drug dealers,
muggers and pimps get and the bonus is they get to slaughter all of those
pit bulls (including pups). They are happier than flies on dung at this
moment!"

Tant was brought to trial by Attorney General Henry McMaster's dogfighting
task force, formed before Tant's dogs were discovered April 7 when a land
surveyor was hurt by a trap near Tant's pens.

On the trial's seventh day, Tant pleaded guilty to 41 counts of animal
fighting and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. Circuit
Judge Wyatt Saunders sentenced Tant to five years in prison on six of the 41
dogfighting charges. He suspended the others. He gave Tant the 10-year
maximum on the assault charge. All the sentences will run consecutively.
Tant could be eligible for release in about eight years.

Charleston attorney Sandy Senn, a task force member, said the group is
pushing for tougher animal fighting legislation that will allow prosecutors
to seize property, as in drug cases. As a result of Tant's conviction,
"people are going to have their dogfighting parties in another state. Our
goal is to run them out of business, but if we can't, run them out of our
state."


  #2  
Old November 24th 04, 03:16 PM
Tee
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"elegy" wrote in message
...
i have a lot of bad words for the geniuses who decided that those dogs
and especially the puppies were "dangerous" but i'm glad they
convicted this guy and gave him a *real* sentence. too often dog
fighters are convicted and given a slap on the wrist. a fine of $5000
is peanuts to a lot of these guys.


They were considered dangerous as pets and to other animals. Tant's dogs
have been selectively bred, generation after generation, for extremely high
fight ability/drive. They were kept in an unsocialized manner considering
there were 41 adults and there's no one who'd have that many dogs in their
house, out in the public, or even running loose on the property given the
nature of the breed. Its likely they were only socialized to Tant and
whomever he had as handlers.

The general public has enough problems trying to responsibly own Pit Bulls
without giving them Pits who were specifically & selectively bred for
superior fight drive. No one likes the idea of puppies being euthanized
just because of their breed but these weren't your typical pet Pit Bulls
anymore than selectively bred protection dogs like certain lines of GSD are
meant to be companion animals.

The shelter has also had 7 months to care for these dogs and evaluate them
on a safety basis. In their (shelter) defense they are not anti Pit Bull
and they are extremely active in getting better laws on the books for
animals. This particular SPCA has spear-headed many of the laws and
ordinances regarding animal welfare in this state.

--
Tara


  #3  
Old November 24th 04, 03:19 PM
Tee
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I should add that I did find the word "dangerous" to be way over the top and
doubt that it was quoted from the shelter but rather suspect its the
author's choice of words.

--
Tara


  #4  
Old November 24th 04, 03:45 PM
Tee
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Default

"elegy" wrote in message
...

i didn't realize they'd had them so long, though i guess it makes
sense since the whole court case had to happen. it was a knee-jerk
response i guess. what you've said makes a lot of sense.

still sad though.


I agree that its sad and of course knee-jerk reactions will blame the court
for such a harsh sentence (its already happening on some web forums) and the
shelter for euthanizing the dogs. I know there's no pleasing everyone and
while I agree with some that 30 years is a bit much for the fight counts
(the other 10 years was for the weaponry & resulting injury of the surveyor)
its going to send a message that hopefully other states will listen to and I
think that was the point. As the article said, he'll be eligible for parole
in 8 years but if more states adopted such harsh sentencing where animal
abuse and fighting are concerned then that may help cut back on the crimes
more than anything else. Unfortunately for Tant I believe he was held up as
an example of what not to do...or get caught doing.

--
Tara


  #5  
Old November 24th 04, 07:24 PM
Rich
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40 years is insane for this.
Just more violence, this time by the state.
-Rich


  #6  
Old November 24th 04, 08:43 PM
Rocky
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Rich said in rec.pets.dogs.breeds:

I agree with all the goals that you espouse. I HATE abusers
of Pit Bulls. But he got a sentence longer than many
murders, rapists, and those convicted of other violent
crimes. It's just not proportionate, IMO


Then disagree with the repercussions of the crimes committed by
those murderers and rapists.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.
  #7  
Old November 24th 04, 11:36 PM
Rich
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Default


"Rocky" wrote in message
...
Rich said in rec.pets.dogs.breeds:

I agree with all the goals that you espouse. I HATE abusers
of Pit Bulls. But he got a sentence longer than many
murders, rapists, and those convicted of other violent
crimes. It's just not proportionate, IMO


Then disagree with the repercussions of the crimes committed by
those murderers and rapists.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.


No, America is already known for its long sentences.
We also have the highest per capita prison population in the world.



  #8  
Old November 25th 04, 04:20 AM
Rocky
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Rich said in rec.pets.dogs.breeds:

I agree with all the goals that you espouse. I HATE
abusers of Pit Bulls. But he got a sentence longer than
many murders, rapists, and those convicted of other
violent crimes. It's just not proportionate, IMO


Then disagree with the repercussions of the crimes
committed by those murderers and rapists.


No, America is already known for its long sentences.


Then I have no idea what you're complaining about. On one hand,
you say that dog abusers receive disproportionately large
sentences compared to those of abusive human crimes, yet you
appear to think that the human sentences are long.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.
  #9  
Old November 25th 04, 11:31 PM
Q
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Default


"Rocky" wrote in message
...
Rich said in rec.pets.dogs.breeds:

I agree with all the goals that you espouse. I HATE
abusers of Pit Bulls. But he got a sentence longer than
many murders, rapists, and those convicted of other
violent crimes. It's just not proportionate, IMO

Then disagree with the repercussions of the crimes
committed by those murderers and rapists.


No, America is already known for its long sentences.


Then I have no idea what you're complaining about. On one hand,
you say that dog abusers receive disproportionately large
sentences compared to those of abusive human crimes, yet you
appear to think that the human sentences are long.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

I don't see the contradiction. All sentences are too long, and more so this
one for dog abuse. What's so confusing about that?
-Q


  #10  
Old November 26th 04, 03:32 AM
culprit
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Default


"Rich" wrote in message
. com...


I agree with all the goals that you espouse. I HATE abusers of Pit Bulls.
But he got a sentence longer than many murders, rapists, and those
convicted
of other violent crimes. It's just not proportionate, IMO.


IMHO, longer sentences for dog fighters will hopefully prove to be a
deterrent. and the less unscrupulous breeders, the less dogs in the hands
of idiots. which might just help with "the pit bull problem".

the sentences of other violent criminals have no relation to this case.

-kelly


 




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