TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – Smith County Animal Shelter has found a dog behavioral specialist from Florida to perform aggression tests on the more than 30 dogs believed to have been bred for fighting.
These dogs are just some of the nearly 60 seized from an alleged dogfighting ring in North Tyler. As of last week, a judge signed an order giving full custody of the dogs to the county. As of Monday, the six dogs receiving medical treatment at Spence & White Veterinary Hospital are in the custody of a local rescue.
Dr. Gary Spence has been involved with the case since the seizure on September 9.
“You’ve got to understand that, you know, these guys are raised to be at the aggressive level they’re at. I’m afraid there will be some down [at the Smith County Animal Shelter] that are going to be extremely aggressive,” he said.
Shelter Supervisor Amber Greene reached out to the Humane Society of the United States (HS U.S.) to help connect with a specialist to perform assessments.
“We just want to make sure that everybody has the best chance of getting placement. That’s why the behavioralist and going to assess all of the game dogs,” said Greene, game dogs being the ones bred for fighting.
The other dogs in the shelter are considered breeding dogs. Greene said they will be sterilized and vaccinated against rabies for two reasons: rescues will be more likely to take them in, and they will become useless to the people who would adopt them to again be breeders for dogfighting operations.
According to Greene, more than 30 dogs will undergo the aggression testing. The behavioral specialist is expected to come at the end of next week, and she will take several days to test the dogs.
“I’m going to hope that she comes in and does her analysis and all of these dogs can be placed with a rescue that can do the rehabilitation on them if that is what needs to happen to them,” said Greene.
If a dog cannot be rehabilitated and cannot be around humans, there is a risk for euthanasia.
“If they’ve been treated like that their whole life, they don’t know the difference,” said Dr. Spence. Still, he had hope: “These dogs are extremely adaptable.”
The HS U.S. is paying for the specialist’s travel and her work. Greene said no decisions will be made about a dog’s situation until the analysis is complete. She also said that analysis will be done outside the shelter in a more neutral environment.
There will be updates in the future as we learn more about the adoptability/behavioral status of all the dogs in the shelter’s care. Dr. Spence said he thinks the six dogs in the other rescue’s care should be able to find homes with certain restrictions.
Greene emphasized the vetting process for adoptions of the non-game dogs will be different and more extensive than adoption applications for dogs not involved in the alleged fighting ring.
To contact the shelter with more questions, Greene asked people to call (903) 266-4303.
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