IV Infusions, Steroids, Syringes Used to Create Hard Dog Fights: DOJ Alleges
Dogfighting Organizer, Equipment Owner Faces 45 Years in Prison in Mass.-Based ‘Animal Fighting Venture’ Networked on Facebook, U.S. Officials Announce
By JOSH MITCHELL
Editor
River Mississippi News
HANSON, MASSACHUSETTS VIA MISSISSIPPI REPORTING SITE — U.S. law enforcement officials have announced the arrest of a dogfighting organizer and equipment-buyer who talked to other dogfighting operations via Facebook from his base in Massachusetts, DOJ authorities say.
The 50-year-old suspect, John Murphy, lives in the town of Hanson, Mass. and now faces nine counts related to violations of the U.S. Animal Welfare Act, a DOJ press release issued late last week states.
Murphy is accused of possessing dogs for an “animal fighting venture,” and he was the subject of a federal search warrant last summer, which was also executed at an additional home in Townsend, Mass.
Authorities allegedly found many dogfighting items at Murphy’s dwelling, including, “intravenous infusion equipment, syringes, anabolic steroids, a skin stapler, forceps, equipment and literature for training dogs including a slat mill and a flirt pole, break sticks used to separate fighting dogs and a breeding stand used to immobilize female dogs during breeding to prevent harm while mating.”
A separate civil complaint filed by the United States seeks the “forfeiture” of 13 pit bulls seized during the search warrant-execution last June at Murphy’s dwelling in Hanson and the other residence in Townsend, the release adds.
U.S. marshals have taken the dogs into custody to be cared for, it adds.
Murphy frequently communicated with other canine carnage enthusiasts on social media and also posted dog fight pictures to his own account, the civil complaint contends. One photo depicted a “pit bull-type” dog with discolorations on its head and a leg and another attached to a “breeding stand.”
And between 2019-2022, Murphy “posted videos” of the dog tied to treadmill-like-devices.” These exercise devices, officials say, are “commonly” used to build a dog’s strength and stamina to fight hard in the illegal rings, the DOJ release shows.
People who live in the United States and know of dogfighting operations should report the alleged criminal behavior to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General.
Murphy faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted on all nine counts.
