Three dogs were shot to death, execution style, on May 9, 2007, in Houston County, between 3:30 pm and 3:45 pm, two and ½ hours after the owner made arrangements and signed their custody over to St. Francis Animal Rescue.

Earl Kelly, owner of the dogs, an adult male, an adult female, whom had been spayed by St. Francis Animal Rescue, and a 7 months male puppy, only few days earlier found himself with no place to live, and was forced to move in an abandoned trailer situated on a relative’s property, his uncle, Michael Dortch, at 2101 Barber Hwy. This location is less than five driving minutes from my rescue. The two males dog were temporarily secured by chains, the female dog was kept in a commercial kennel. All of them had food, water, and huge, new dog houses. Mr. Kelly contacted St. Francis Animal Rescue around 11:30 am on May 9, 2007, to make arrangements, and sign their custody over, as he was in no position to continue to care for the dogs. He spoke directly to me, and asked to please speak to his uncle, to assure him I was taking the dogs into my rescue program, which I did. I had a polite, short conversation with Mr. Dortch, and explained to him that I would be by his address around 3:30-4:00 pm to pick the dogs up. At no time, Mr. Dortch, commented of the dogs being in any danger, or that they had to leave his property right away. He was fine with the time I gave him, and stated that he just didn’t want the dogs to stay there permanently. At about 1:00 pm, Mr. Kelly, came to my rescue, and signed the custody of his dogs over to me.

Just before 4:00 pm, I was going thru my house to get my pocketbook, and be on my way to pick up the dogs, when the phone rang. On the other end was Mr. Kelly’s girlfriend, Ms. Tanya Crawford, hysterically crying, saying she was at the location where the dogs were, and they were all dead. She said the uncle, Mr. Dortch was leaning over the female dog, inside her pen. She asked what happened, and he said that someone had shot and killed the dogs. He added that he did not know who did it.

I left immediately to go to the location. Ms. Crawford went to her mother’s house, located only couple hundred of feet away. I picked her up, and went to the location together. The dogs were nowhere to be found at this time. I called E-911, and had an officer to come out to the location. Meantime Mr. Dortch came up to me, making threats to get me to get off his property. At a house located at the same address, there was a man standing by the porch. I recognized him for he and his twin brother have been at my rescue several times during the years, as they are in a developmental program for mentally challenged adults. Hours later I found out hat Mr. dortch is their brother, and the one who has custody of them. I went up to Ray Dortch, and asked him if he remembered me, he said he did, that I was the nice dog lady. I asked if he saw what happened, and he started to cry, and shake very hard. He continued to say that Michael (Mr. Dortch) told him not to tell anyone that he killed the dogs, or he would kill him in the same way, so he couldn’t talk to me. I called E-911 back, and begged for someone from the adult protection services to come and checked on Ray, as he was very frighten by his brother. The dispatcher told me he didn’t have a contact # for such service, which is the same one that would bring the twins to visit my rescue.

When the officer, Deputy Grey, finally arrived at the location, I begun to tell him what I knew on the case, and asked him to follow me, only few feet away, to where the dogs were, so he could see that the dogs were shot at point blank while into, each one, their dog houses. He refused to do so. Meantime Mr. Dortch was telling him that he had to kill one of them because he got loose and went after him. Evidences show no dog was loose. Mr. Dortch said he had to killed it by beat it on the head with a metal bar. Evidences, necropsy done by certified veterinarian, Dr. Louis Anderson, show no beating occurred on any of the dogs, they were all shot at point blank, in their throat/chest area, while in their dog houses.

Deputy Grey and Mr. Dortch moved away from me so they could talk. Meantime I was searching the wooded area right behind the dog houses, and heard a weak moan, the last of the 7 months old before dying. The pup and the female dog were laying in one area, and the adult male was just few feet away. It also had been shot from the back of its neck, in the dog house, where, I’m speculating, it was probably asleep at first. That bullet entered the back of its neck, and exited thru the ear. I recovered that bullet into the house. Deputy Grey took a report from Mr. Dortch and myself. I asked him again to look into the dog houses, and kennel area, and again he refused, saying Mr. Dortch had confessed in killing the dogs while in their dog houses, and that it started by one dog getting loose, and Mr. Dortch killing it by beating it on the head with the metal bar, and after that he decided to, means well, kill the rest. Deputy Grey then left the location.

After taking pictures of all the crime scene, and removed the dead dogs away from the wooded area, Deputy Grey was called back to the location to show him no dog had been beaten, nowhere in their body. He really didn’t appreciated it, and repeated that he has taken a report, and there was nothing else that he could do about the case.

Cases like this one happen daily in this county! The Laws are NOT enforced in this county, not the animal ones nor the people ones. The Law has been violated, and nothing will be done about it, again!

I don’t expect for everybody to care about animals, but I’m a firm believer in abiding the law, and for the same to be enforced! These people who say they care for humans only, and away with animals, are nothing more than plain hypocrites, because if they would really care, things like this wouldn’t happen to animals. Those dogs were shot moments before the school bus stopped, right in front of this location, to let many children go back to their homes, many saw the dogs bleeding to death, and were told that’s the way of things in this county, that’s the way it’s done. That poor mentally challenged man wouldn’t let to be neglected and abused by a family member.

Never once Mr. Dortch was asked to show proof of legal ownership, or any license, of the weapon used in the killing.