Dogfighting trial begins in Spokane

Did law enforcement and animal control officers break up an illegal dogfighting ring in Spokane last year – or did they jump to conclusions in the midst of the highly publicized national outcry over football star Michael Vick’s mistreatment of pit bulls?

A Spokane County prosecutor and attorneys representing Peter S. Nelson and Alfredo L. Renteria gave different answers to that question Monday as the first trial in Spokane involving allegations of organized dogfighting got under way.

Nelson, 24, and Renteria, 26, are charged with animal fighting, transporting or confining domestic animals in an unsafe manner, and operating an unlicensed kennel at 8006 E. Utah Ave.

In addition, Renteria is accused of one count of animal cruelty based on a neighbor’s accusation that she saw him hit a pit bull kept on his property with a pipe – causing the dog to collapse in convulsions.

It took days to pick a jury last week because so many jurors were questioned individually about the Vick case and their opinions on animal abuse. Several who were dismissed from the jury pool said they could not be impartial because of their strong feelings about protecting animals.

In his opening statement to the 11-woman, three-man jury Monday, Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Steve W. Garvin described a search warrant executed at Renteria’s Spokane Valley house on April 24 last year. Nelson was renting the house from Renteria at the time.

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service, a local SWAT team and the Washington State Gambling Commission were involved in the search.

The officers found eight pit bulls, including six adults with scars and other injuries and two healthy puppies. They also seized veterinary supplies, training logs and several periodicals, including “Your Friend and Mine,” which Garvin described as an “underground” publication about dogfighting.

Garvin also told the jury about a large number of tattoos on Nelson’s body, including one covering his back that depicts two dogs fighting.

Public defender Matthew Harget described Nelson as an innocent man, falsely accused of dogfighting.

Spokane’s animal control officers got caught up in a “media circus” after the Vick case and “rushed to some judgments” about what was going on, Harget said, accusing local TV stations of “sensationalizing” the case.

While the local chapter of the Humane Society offered a $5,000 reward for information on the alleged dogfighting operation, “not one single tip” has come in to incriminate Nelson or Renteria, he added. That statement was confirmed on cross-examination by SCRAPS director Nancy Hill .

The eight pit bulls have been kept alive under court order at the SCRAPS shelter as evidence in the case. But none of them has been designated dangerous, Harget said.

Scott Hill, Renteria’s lawyer, urged the jury to pay close attention to what the search of his client’s house didn’t find: no photos or videos of dogfighting, no dead dogs, no fight records or awards and no evidence of gambling – the monetary driver for dogfighting rings.

A neighbor who is scheduled to testify against Renteria in the animal cruelty charge has given conflicting statements about what she saw, Hill said. “Her description is not of Mr. Renteria,” he added.

Liberty Lake veterinarian Dr. Mark B. Fosberg testified for the state about the condition of the dogs seized last April. He said the adults had numerous scars, torn ears and calluses from being tightly restrained by heavy chains. But the dogs were in generally good health, Fosberg said.

The chains used to tether them “would build up their necks and shoulders,” he added. When the officials searching Renteria’s property gave them treats, the hungry dogs “took them voraciously,” he said. Fosberg also testified that some of the veterinary medicines found in the home are used to treat shock or trauma – and he’s never prescribed them to a dog owner to keep at home.

A defense witness was allowed to testify out of order Monday about Nelson’s love of dogs.

Matthew T. Cochran, of Alhambra, Calif., a production assistant for FOX-TV News, described himself as Nelson’s best friend.

“I’ve never seen him harm a dog. I never saw him encourage a dog to fight,” Cochran said.