Roger Legrande Kervin, 67, was originally charged with 88 animal abuse related charges. He was convicted Thursday of two felony counts of animal cruelty and one misdemeanor county. Prior to his jury trial, he pleaded no contest to one count of confinement of animals without sufficient food, water or exercise, a misdemeanor.
He remains free on bond as he awaits his sentencing on June 17.
Kervin was arrested in February 2012, three days after the first of 90 animals were seized from his property on Lawson Lane near Barrineau Park. Many of the animals were euthanized.
Before his arrest, Kervin spoke out in his own defense, saying that he had done nothing wrong.
Kervin said he kept his dogs in good shape for wild hog hunting, often using the wild pork to feed people at charity events. During his trial Thursday, Kervin continued to maintain that he kept dogs on his property for hunting wild hogs.
This was not the first time Kervin had faced animal abuse charges. According to court records, he was sentenced to probation in 1992 for using animals to bait or fight other animals.
Editor’s note: The following information, from the State Attorney’s Office arrest warrant affidavit, is graphic and may be disturbing to some readers. It details the original allegations against Kervin at the time of his arrest. Dozens of the charges against Kervin were dropped or dismissed prior to his trial.
Escambia County Animal Control seized 20 dogs on Tuesday, February 14, 2012. According to an affidavit, several of the dogs were emaciated while some displayed open sores and infections. Some of the dogs were aggressive and had puncture wounds and scarring. One of the dogs was in a seizure and was in need of immediate medical attention. Another suffered a ruptured anus.
The pen where the dogs were kept were filled with feces and mud that was several inches deep with limited to no shelter. The dogs had no potable water and no food. Several where tethered with “large” or “heavy” chains. Ten of the 20 dogs –both hounds, bulldogs and mixed breeds — that were seized Tuesday were euthanized.
The affidavit details the condition of each euthanized dog. In addition to being emaciated, one or more of the dogs suffered from conjunctivitis in both eyes, sores, infections, infected toenails and fly sores.
“Several of the dogs had puncture wounds and scarring consistent with fighting,” the arrest warrant states.
In addition to the seized dogs, Escambia County Animal Control found two dead goats, one dead hog and nine skeletal remains. Another 23 dogs on the premises were living in feces-covered pens with non-potable water, no food and limited to no shelter. There were 16 hogs kept in a pen withour escape from their slop which contained feces, urine, food and mud. The hogs also had no drinking water and no food. There was, according to the report, a dead hog in the same pen as the live hog. There were 16 goats, five of which were at large on Lawson Lane. Some were malnourished and their pen had no grazing material.
When the State Attorney’s Office, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and Escambia County Animal control returned on Wednesday, February 15, 2012, with a search warrant, 23 dogs, 16 goats, 16 hogs and two piglets were seized. Authorities also seized treadmills and unspecified medications. The animals were in poor living conditions, but authorities noted that conditions had improved from the previous day. Fresh sand and dirt and been placed in all of the pens and shelters to cover the feces and mud. At least one standing pen had been washed out with a hose to remove feces from the bottom.
(North Escambia - May 17, 2013)
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