Animal Fighting Continues to Be A Major Problem In Alabama
Adger is a quiet, unincorporated community, in southwest Jefferson County, about five miles from the Tuscaloosa County line. It is heavily wooded and secluded, making it a peaceful retreat. Unless you are a fighting dog.
Carlton Lenard Adams, of Bessemer and Adger, was sentenced last month to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty in January to four counts of possessing dogs for fighting purposes and two counts of possessing firearms subsequent to a felony conviction. In addition to the prison sentence, the court also Friday imposed a restitution of $548,449 for the costs of care of 78 pit bull-type dogs rescued in the investigation.
According to court documents, Adams maintained a stock of 78 fighting dogs at three properties — two in Bessemer, Alabama, and one in Adger. When they were rescued, some of the dogs bore scars and other injuries, and some were living in conditions of extreme neglect. Adams was also found to possess two pistols and a semi-automatic shotgun known colloquially as a “Street Sweeper.” Under federal law, a street sweeper is considered a destructive device.
“This case demonstrates that the cruelty of dog fighting is not limited to the brutal injuries inflicted in the fighting pit,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “These animals suffer before, during, and after the fights. We will continue to vigorously pursue Congress’s mandate to snuff out this illegal industry.”
“This prior convicted violent felon is now off our streets. We will show no mercy to individuals in this District like Carlton Adams that torture animals for entertainment purposes,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. for the Northern District of Alabama.
Animal fighting is widely considered a major problem in Alabama, which is frequently labeled by animal advocacy groups as the "cockfighting capital of the Southeast". But dog fighting is also a common issue for law enforcement.
Both dogfighting and cockfighting operate on a massive scale in the state. The state consistently ranks among the worst in the nation for its animal protection laws. Because state penalties are so low, federal agencies—such as the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI—often have to step in to prosecute large-scale operations under federal felony statutes.
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