Kalamazoo County Animal Services and Enforcement Director Steve Lawrence said sheriff's deputies served a search warrant at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the home of Kelvin E. Thomas in the 7600 block of West KL Avenue in Oshtemo Township.
Lawrence said investigators sought the warrant after they received tips that Thomas had dogs on his property. An investigation that included the assistance of the Humane Society of the United States "found that he was trying to sell the dogs as fighting dogs," Lawrence said.
Lawrence said 10 dogs – seven pit bull terriers and three Doberman Pinschers – were seized from Thomas' property Wednesday. Lawrence said investigators did not find any evidence of actual dog fighting taking place at the KL Avenue house, but did find what he described as "dog fighting paraphernalia," including weights and chains, and supplements for the dogs.
Only the pit bulls are suspected of being trained for dog fighting and Lawrence said the breed of pit bull investigators found is a smaller-sized dog "similar to the ones (Thomas) was breeding before."
In 2012, Thomas, 55, pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing fighting dogs and equipment for his role in a Kalamazoo dog fighting operation that was uncovered by Animal Services. A raid in August 2012 at Thomas' KL Avenue house turned up 32 dogs and investigators also found a dog fighting ring in the basement and blood splatter on the walls, among other things.
As part of Thomas' plea agreement in the 2012 case, four counts of possessing fighting dogs and equipment were dismissed.
Thomas was sentenced by Kalamazoo County Circuit Judge Gary C. Giguere Jr. in December 2012 to two years of probation and ordered to perform 160 hours of community service at Animal Services, the Kalamazoo Humane Society or the SPCA of Southwest Michigan.
Thomas was also ordered to pay a $500 fine, court costs and state fees and told not to possess dogs on his property, not to own dog fighting equipment or view dog fighting journals, magazines, videos and other paraphernalia related to dog fighting. At the time, Giguere gave Thomas credit for two days he had already served in the county jail and did not order any additional time behind bars.
All he had to do was make sure he didn't pick up any criminal charges in those two years and then he was free to get back in business... only this time he would be smarter and more secretive. Thanks Judge Giguere Jr. for failing to do your job and ensuring that more animals would suffer and die.
Asked if investigators plan to seek new charges against Thomas based on what they found Wednesday at the KL Avenue house, Lawrence said, "Definitely."
"It's just what charges, how many charges, etc.," Lawrence said.
Lawrence said Thomas, who was not arrested Wednesday, was present during the raid. He said Thomas later signed the 10 dogs over to Animal Services. Lawrence said his agency plans to submit the case for review to the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor's Office by Monday.
Lawrence said the investigation by Animal Services and the Humane Society of the United States uncovered evidence that Thomas was advertising his pit bulls, which ranged from puppies to two years old, as "fight dog breed stock" on dog fighting websites.
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| These photos are from the 2012 raid |
As of Wednesday, Lawrence said the 10 dogs were being held at Animal Services and the Humane Society of the United States will be working to find suitable placements for the dogs through the agency's network of dog rescues. Lawrence said Michigan law prevents his agency from putting the dogs up for adoption because it has been determined that they were bred for dog fighting.
"All of these dogs are savable so they will get them into rescues where they will be able to saved," Lawrence said.
(MLive - Feb 17, 2016)
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