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Mar 29, 2007 1:37 AM County Seizes Children From Dog
Fighting Home agents raided a College Hill home this past weekend, they allegedly found much more than just dogs trained to fight each other to the death. They also discovered several young children in conditions described to 9News as "deplorable". It allegedly happened at a house in the 5900 block of Lantana Avenue. The county says if the kids weren't in jeopardy by the dogs, they definitely were by the unsanitary conditions the dogs and their owners created. But one occupant at the home in question tells 9News all of this is one giant lie. It's known as an alleged kennel for a local dog-fighting ring, but that might not have been the only disturbing thing going on inside the home in recent weeks. "The children were dirty. They smelled like dog urine, dog feces," says Brian Gregg, spokesperson for the Hamilton County's Job and Family Services Department. Gregg confirms to 9News that after last weekend's raid on the property, five young children were taken out of the home due to unsanitary conditions. That's a claim disputed by a woman who lives there, who identifies herself as the grandmother to some of the children taken. She refused to give her name. "The county is telling us they were cleaning up urine from the house and dog feces from all over the house," 9News reporter Lance Barry told the woman. "That was a big lie, [the county is telling] a big lie," she responded. "Two of the kids, a four-year-old and a six-year-old, had just cleaned the floor of dog urine when we entered the house," Gregg said. "Do you think the county is lying?" asked Barry. "I know they are lying," said the woman. "I live here." Gregg also says the dogs, trained to kill, posed a threat even if the conditions inside didn't already. "The situation obviously was a lot of dogs in the house and perhaps could kill each other. That was a dangerous situation," Gregg said. The five children come from three families that live at the home. The county says they are currently staying with relatives. "I'm hoping to have them home real soon, cause they are hurting over this," the woman told 9News. Nineteen people from the Tri-state were indicted Monday on charges relating to the alleged dog-fighting rings. They include several people from the home in question. When 9News asked the woman what grounds she had to claim that the county was making up stories about the inside of the home, she said that will come out in court. Stay with WCPO.com and WCPO-TV for updates. Please click "refresh" on your browser to view the most recent version of this story.
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