Dog Treadmills, Steroids: New Details On Neptune Alleged Dog-Fighting

NEPTUNE TOWNSHIP, NJ — Monmouth County SPCA Executive Director Ross Licitra revealed new details on the alleged dog-fighting ring his agency unearthed Saturday in Neptune Township.

This is the collection of eight dogs kept in a locked garage in a backyard on Embury Avenue. Neptune Police received an anonymous 911 call about dogs possibly used in dog fighting kept at that address. When officers arrived Saturday, they followed a trail of dog's blood to the door of the locked garage, from which they heard howls coming from inside.

Officers broke down the locked door and inside, found a total of eight dogs, kept in cages and standing in their own excrement. The dogs showed signs of being used in pit fighting: Scars on the face and wounds.

"There are huge signs these animals were abused in a really bad way. They definitely suffered," said Licitra. "They had scars on their faces and trauma."

Lictra said his agency, Monmouth County SPCA, has uncovered dog-fighting rings before along the Jersey Shore.

"It's not rampant, but it's here. They are always connected to broader crimes — the last bunch of dogs we took from Neptune City were being housed in sub-zero temperatures and the owners of those dogs were involved in a drug- and gun-smuggling ring, bringing illegal guns and drugs into New Jersey."

He shared some sad facts: The dog that loses a fight is not only severely injured, they are usually killed after the fight.

"And they are not put down in a humane way," said Licitra. "They are shot by a bullet; they drown them or they electrocute them with any electrical appliance you can plug in."

Licitra said he's seen the carcasses of dogs that died in such a manner.

Also, doggie treadmills and animal steroid injections were found inside the garage on Saturday.

"It's the same as you'd see in any football training camp. It's no different than the thoroughbred horse-racing industry," he said. "The dogs are considered athletes. It's training equipment. They put the dogs on the treadmills, and run them. They give them steroid shots to bulk up their muscles. It's all about making the dogs stronger so they can gamble more and make more money."

Licitra said "tens of thousands of dollars" are won and lost on a single dog fight.

"The last dog-fighting ring we took down was tied to dogs coming from Arizona to Chicago to New Jersey to North Carolina," he said. "They can get more money by breeding a winning dog. They can make hundreds of thousands of dollars in breeding. That's where the money is."

Dog-Fighting Ring Discovered In Neptune Township (Feb. 6)