Dogfighting “Godfather” Sentenced, Dogs to be Killed – No Justice!

Update 2/17/09 – Judge Orders All Pitbulls Killed

For 14 counts of felony dog fighting, Edward A. Faron, a nationally known breeder of pitbulls based in Wilkes County, NC, was sentenced to only 8-10 months prison time in a plea deal. His adopted son, Donni Juan Casanova, pleaded guilty to one count of felony dog fighting and was given a 6-8 month sentence, suspended. Faron will also have supervised probation and not be allowed to own, possess or care for any dogs.

Now will someone please tell me what the hell good does it do to have felony charges when this kind of trash can just plea down and get sentences like this?!

This is also not Faron’s first problem with dogfighting, he was convicted of dog fighting, a misdemeanor charge at the time, and sentenced to a year in jail in Alamance County in June 1989.

Faron’s Wildside Kennels’ Web site includes a disclaimer that reads: “No dogs bred, raised or sold for illegal purposes” but as part of the investigation two undercover officers were sent in to buy pitbulls from him specifically for dogfighting. Faron claimed entrapment, saying he needed money so he just said what he thought the guys wanted to hear.

The kennel is in an isolated part of Wilkes County, roughly between N.C. 16 and N.C. 18. Property records show that Faron owns about 24 acres there.

Faron is also well known as a co-author of The Complete Gamedog — A Guide to Breeding and Raising the American Pit Bull Terrier, a book that includes graphic accounts of gruesome injuries inflicted on fighting dogs. The book contains a disclaimer that says that the accounts are fictional.

And to make matters worse, in the raid in December, 127 pitbulls were seized and after Faron failed to pay nearly $53,000 the county had asked for their care last month, the court awarded custody of the dogs to the county. Since the raid a number of puppies have also been born. You want to know what Wilkes County plans to do to the dogs? They plan to kill them, including the puppies.

John Goodwin, the manager of animal-fighting issues for The Humane Society of the United States said that the dogs have been bred for fighting and it would very difficult and expensive to re-train the dogs, even the puppies, so that they could be adopted.

County officials say the dog will be euthanized.

“I think there’s a county ordinance that requires it,” Goodwin said. “It’s not a matter of would, could or should. It’s the law.”

To me it’s disgusting that an organization that is supposed to be about the welfare of animal would take a stance like that just based of the breed of the dog!!

So Faron will walk very soon and all the dogs have been given a death sentence. Where is the justice in that??

Now, I’ve read in a lot in some of the pitbull forums, people defending Faron, talking about him being a wonderful and reputable breeder.  Members talk about how the HSUS just wants to exterminate the breed, which I have seen evidence of, so they raid anyone and everyone that has anything to do with pitbulls.  All I know is that Faron pleaded guilty to 14 felony counts of dogfighting so there must have been something there.  If he was involved in dogfighting, and being convicted says he was, I would have liked to have seen him taken off the streets for a lot longer than 8-10 months. Honestly, my bigger concern is that 127 dogs plus all the puppies that have been born since the raid are going to be mercilessly killed.

Best Friends Society has even stepped up and offered their help with the seized dogs and puppies. They’ve offered to spay and neuter the dogs and work to assist in placing them.

“To make the judgment that all these dogs are dangerous, solely on basis of their breed, is simply wrong,” Ed Fritz, a spokesman for Best Friends, said in an e-mail.

The woman who has been helping to care for the adult pitbulls and puppies, Sheila Carlisle, says that the dogs are “adorable” and wants to see them saved.

“I’ve fallen in love with them,” she said. “I don’t want to cause anybody any problems with the court system, but I want these dogs saved.”

The work done by the different organizations with Vick’s pitbulls show that many of the dogs can be saved and rehabilitated. Yes, it does take time and money but these dogs have become ambassadors of their breed and show that the stereotype is far from the truth. Realistically I know that all dogs cannot be saved, that the resources are not available but do they all really need to be killed? NO! They deserve a chance.

Please contact each of the following individuals and respectfully ask them to contact and allow professionals like Best Friends or ASPCA or Bad Rap to arrange for behavior evaluations of the dogs, assistance and placement of dogs that pass a stringent behavior evaluation.

Wilkes County Board of Commissioners
110 North Street
Wilksboro, NC 28697
Phone: 336-651-7346

Wilkes County Attorney Tony Triplett
Vannoy, Colvard, Triplett & Vannoy
922 C Street
P.O. Box 1388
North Wilkesboro, NC 28659
Phone: 336-667-7201
Fax: 336-838-7250
E-mail: ttriplett@vannoylaw.com

District Attorney Tom Horner
500 Courthouse Drive Suite 2022
Wilkesboro, NC 28697
Phone: 336-667-6361 or 667-2994

Wilkes County is getting to go down in history. Ask them if they want to be known as the North Carolina County that killed 127+ dogs that had already been victimized by criminal dog fighting and criminal sales to dog fighters.

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