Belinda “Dinki” Davis, who owns Dude’s Hot Biscuits with her husband Jimmy, built a special fenced pen with a roof to house her cats in the back yard of their home. They live on Nalco Lane off Nola Road near the Heucks Retreat community.
She had 36 cats — more than most people would consider normal, but Davis took care of them with a passion. She rescued them, provided medical care, got them spayed and neutered and provided unconditional love to God’s creatures. She knew each one’s name and personality. The Davises also own six rescue dogs.
Everything seemed normal at 3 a.m. Thursday when they left home to prepare for the breakfast rush at Dude’s. It was a cold night so they’d turned on the heat lamps and put up tarps to block the cold wind before they had gone to bed.
When she drove home about 8:30 a.m. to check on the heat lamps, she found what could be described as a murder scene.
“When I pulled into my driveway, I could hear my dog barking with a growl. I heard other dogs barking and I knew they were large dogs by the bark and they sounded like they were behind the pen,” she said.
She immediately called her husband at the restaurant and waited. “I was scared to get out of the car,” she said.
Two of a neighbor’s dogs, a German shepherd and a pit bull, were in her yard. The shepherd had charged her before, she said.
When her husband arrived and pulled down the tarp, they witnessed the worst thing an animal owner could ever think of.
“Dead cats just ripped to shreds,” she said, crying as she recalled the horrific scene. “They just mauled them to death, horribly.”
The dogs were still in attack mode when they walked into the shed, she said.
Jimmy Davis took pictures of the cats’ remains that were scattered throughout the kennel. The couple called for help and broke down in tears as they waited for the Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputies to arrive, she said.
Fifteen cats were chased, mauled and torn to pieces while in the safety of their 20-foot-by-40-foot kennel.
Can you imagine these poor cats trying to get away while the ones being killed are screaming in agony? Only for the dogs to grab yet another cat and another and another...
Davis is amazed the dogs were able to get into the padlocked gate of the pen. “They were so strong and pushed it open,” she said.
The cats were living safely outside in a closed -in kennel with concrete floors, galvanized fencing, a metal roof, air-conditioners, and a partially enclosed metal sliding doors. “The dogs had to be very strong to barge through everything. It’s worth about $10,000 dollars. It’s not cheaply made,” she said.
Davis’ brother-in-law found a kitten, Lanie Bug, still alive in the pen and rushed her to his vet, Davis said. She didn’t make it, bringing the total killed to 16. The other cats were in a different enclosure that Davis said thankfully had been untouched by the dogs.
The loss of the cats has affected the entire family, especially Davis, who is known as a strong woman who never cries. “I’ve seen and been through a lot, but this, this is something I’ll never get out of my head,” she said with a trembling voice trying to hold back more tears.
Davis is known as a pet rescuer, taking animals out of horrible situations and bringing them back to life to live with her in a safer environment.
She thinks the dogs that killed her cats should be euthanized before other animals, or possibly a child or adult, are hurt.
Currently, Lincoln County has no leash law and there is no law in the county that says dogs must be locked up. The county does have a vicious dog ordinance, Lincoln County Sheriff Steve Rushing said, but requires reports of aggressive behavior be made before an incident occurs.
He said the only call that’s been made was one or two months ago and the complaint was about dogs in the neighborhood that seemed malnourished.
“The deputy went and looked at the dogs and they did not appear to be starving,” he said.
The deputy who filed the report Thursday said the dogs were still in the pen when he arrived. “The bulldog came toward me growling and with its hair raised on its back. This dog was being aggressive toward me through the chain link fence. The other dog was not aggressive toward me,” he said.
The deputy explained to the dogs’ owners that the “dogs had to be kept put up” and that he would contact Lincoln County Justice Court.
“The deputy from yesterday said one of the dogs did growl at him but it was on the other side of the fence and he did not fear for his safety or any others,” Rushing said. “The owner of dog had no problem removing the dog and taking it home.”
Davis said she will take the necessary steps to stop the vicious dog attacks even if that requires them going to court. Her main concern now is the safety of others.
“Something needs to be done soon. Not only for an animal, but for [the safety of] a child or adult,” she said. “I do not want anybody else to go through this, or a child be killed.”
Dinki Browning Davis added 3 new photos — feeling heartbroken.
December 16 at 7:04am · Brookhaven, MS ·
I don't have an idea of where to start this post. Yesterday was one of the most horrible days of my life. I'm sure some of you say "well it was just cats," no, not to me. These were precious little souls that I have saved and brought back to life from certain death, my babies! And, to have them die in such a awful, terrible, painful way is something I will NEVER get over.
I never miss work, I'm not a cryer, I'm a strong person that has seen and been through a lot. But, this, this is something I'll never get out of my head. I'm at home this morning because I, me, the one that loves my store people couldn't face them. I was there when the front was opened and I only saw part of it.
Poor Jimmy that could never even stay with one to be put to sleep when the time came...had to see it all! He had to go inside this awful, bloody mess and pick up the pieces of their little lifeless bodies and bury them. Thank God my wonderful, so loved, brother-in-law, Les was home to help. Kathy, Angie, and Caleb came immediately. I couldn't have made it without them. I know Jimmy couldn't have.
We had one that was injured, but we couldn't get to her because the dogs were still in the enclosure. The deputy was here but one of the dogs became aggressive to him so we couldn't even get to her. The girl drove up looking for her dogs, and when they got them out Les grab sweet little, Lanie and rushed her to the vet on 84. They tried to save her, but just couldn't.
I can't, just can't imagine the pain they went through. I don't know where to put the hurt, or angry right now. Please pray for me. I never asked for prayers for myself, but this was so awful. And, please pray for Jimmy too...I have always been the one to handle the sad stuff, he's just not that kind of person. Yesterday broke him down; In a way I have never seen, but he was still trying to keep me from seeing them.
This was a $10,000.00 enclosure. It has concrete floors, galvanized fencing with the strongest metal post we could buy, it has a metal roof, and partially enclosed with metal siding. They had heat and cool air at all times! The gate was padlocked! I even have cameras up that they tore down. These dogs forced themselves into this kennel where 18 cats felt safe. They were mauled to death.
Ripped into pieces by these same dogs that I have asked for something to be done about. I made a Facebook post recently about if something wasn't done it wasn't going to end well, and I was right! I told everybody something needed to be done. I begged for something to be done. One of these dogs has charged me twice in MY yard!
Nothing was done.
Years ago when I came home to find two of my cats bleeding inside a kennel with their tails laying out in the yard from some of their other dogs nothing was done. One had puncture wounds to her neck where they tried to pull her through the galvanized fencing... I called him and told him to keep his dogs at home I couldn't afford anymore vet bills because of his dogs. "I can't afford your vet bills either." Was his response.
This entire neighbor hood know how these people neglect animals. How they treat them. I have called the humane society, they told me to call the sheriff's department. I followed protocol. Nothing was done. But, now I'm told I have to do this and that and they still have the option to keep these dogs alive!!
These people have animals that are nearly starved to death, that's why they are so aggressive. I have vet records where I have taken their animals because I couldn't stand to see the condition they were in. I have neighbors telling me they will go to court with me and wanting to get a petition up to do something.
But, I'm told they have an option to keep these dogs alive until they get out again! What happens if they kill a human begin?!?! What happens if they kill a child?!?! Will putting them down then do any good then?!?! How many times do animals these people have kill living breathing begins before our county actually does something.
I said when something like this happens I would make it my life's mission to call out everybody that allowed it, and I am! I do not bother anybody, I mind my own business, I help everybody I can possibly help! I have taken care of hundreds of animals, found loving homes for so many, I pay my taxes we both work 16 hours a day and people that are absolutely worthless to the community get treated better and evidently have more rights that I do.
However, it is now ok if they come back into my yard to kill them. A lot of good that does! I'm still so hurt and heartbroken, but now the anger has set in.
I went and pressed charges yesterday to have the dogs put down. However, I will be carrying this as far as I can possibly carry it. This is not how I was raised. We were brought up to be loving, caring, law abiding citizens and to help people! I didn't even know where the Justice Court Judge's office was. I will be hiring a lawyer just as soon as possible.
...Also, these pictures were made during the building process, it was not a cheap made, easy to access pen. Part of it was enclosed with metal siding!
This is Jimmy with his little one, Lanie Bug. She died at the vets office after having to lay inside and suffer because we couldn't get to her because the dogs were still in my pen!!
December 16 at 7:04am · Brookhaven, MS ·
I don't have an idea of where to start this post. Yesterday was one of the most horrible days of my life. I'm sure some of you say "well it was just cats," no, not to me. These were precious little souls that I have saved and brought back to life from certain death, my babies! And, to have them die in such a awful, terrible, painful way is something I will NEVER get over.
I never miss work, I'm not a cryer, I'm a strong person that has seen and been through a lot. But, this, this is something I'll never get out of my head. I'm at home this morning because I, me, the one that loves my store people couldn't face them. I was there when the front was opened and I only saw part of it.
Poor Jimmy that could never even stay with one to be put to sleep when the time came...had to see it all! He had to go inside this awful, bloody mess and pick up the pieces of their little lifeless bodies and bury them. Thank God my wonderful, so loved, brother-in-law, Les was home to help. Kathy, Angie, and Caleb came immediately. I couldn't have made it without them. I know Jimmy couldn't have.
We had one that was injured, but we couldn't get to her because the dogs were still in the enclosure. The deputy was here but one of the dogs became aggressive to him so we couldn't even get to her. The girl drove up looking for her dogs, and when they got them out Les grab sweet little, Lanie and rushed her to the vet on 84. They tried to save her, but just couldn't.
I can't, just can't imagine the pain they went through. I don't know where to put the hurt, or angry right now. Please pray for me. I never asked for prayers for myself, but this was so awful. And, please pray for Jimmy too...I have always been the one to handle the sad stuff, he's just not that kind of person. Yesterday broke him down; In a way I have never seen, but he was still trying to keep me from seeing them.
This was a $10,000.00 enclosure. It has concrete floors, galvanized fencing with the strongest metal post we could buy, it has a metal roof, and partially enclosed with metal siding. They had heat and cool air at all times! The gate was padlocked! I even have cameras up that they tore down. These dogs forced themselves into this kennel where 18 cats felt safe. They were mauled to death.
Ripped into pieces by these same dogs that I have asked for something to be done about. I made a Facebook post recently about if something wasn't done it wasn't going to end well, and I was right! I told everybody something needed to be done. I begged for something to be done. One of these dogs has charged me twice in MY yard!
Nothing was done.
Years ago when I came home to find two of my cats bleeding inside a kennel with their tails laying out in the yard from some of their other dogs nothing was done. One had puncture wounds to her neck where they tried to pull her through the galvanized fencing... I called him and told him to keep his dogs at home I couldn't afford anymore vet bills because of his dogs. "I can't afford your vet bills either." Was his response.
This entire neighbor hood know how these people neglect animals. How they treat them. I have called the humane society, they told me to call the sheriff's department. I followed protocol. Nothing was done. But, now I'm told I have to do this and that and they still have the option to keep these dogs alive!!
These people have animals that are nearly starved to death, that's why they are so aggressive. I have vet records where I have taken their animals because I couldn't stand to see the condition they were in. I have neighbors telling me they will go to court with me and wanting to get a petition up to do something.
But, I'm told they have an option to keep these dogs alive until they get out again! What happens if they kill a human begin?!?! What happens if they kill a child?!?! Will putting them down then do any good then?!?! How many times do animals these people have kill living breathing begins before our county actually does something.
I said when something like this happens I would make it my life's mission to call out everybody that allowed it, and I am! I do not bother anybody, I mind my own business, I help everybody I can possibly help! I have taken care of hundreds of animals, found loving homes for so many, I pay my taxes we both work 16 hours a day and people that are absolutely worthless to the community get treated better and evidently have more rights that I do.
However, it is now ok if they come back into my yard to kill them. A lot of good that does! I'm still so hurt and heartbroken, but now the anger has set in.
I went and pressed charges yesterday to have the dogs put down. However, I will be carrying this as far as I can possibly carry it. This is not how I was raised. We were brought up to be loving, caring, law abiding citizens and to help people! I didn't even know where the Justice Court Judge's office was. I will be hiring a lawyer just as soon as possible.
...Also, these pictures were made during the building process, it was not a cheap made, easy to access pen. Part of it was enclosed with metal siding!
This is Jimmy with his little one, Lanie Bug. She died at the vets office after having to lay inside and suffer because we couldn't get to her because the dogs were still in my pen!!
