Pit Bulls on Steroids

Man Accused Of Animal Cruelty, Authorities Say | TBO.com:

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Some of the dogs, especially large for their breed, had scratch, bite and puncture wounds, Ryan said. The owner, Raymond Doerfler, told investigators that he was not breeding the dogs to fight.

Doerfler was also arrested for possessing steroids.

Doerfler's Web site boasts "the largest, most big bones blockheads around!" The site also lists anti-dogfighting ads.

Sgt. Pam Perry, an investigations manager with animal services, said three pregnant female pit bulls got out of their cages Tuesday and were fighting with one another. One dog, Star, was sent to Animal Services; another, Tesla, suffered severe puncture wounds and was treated at an emergency animal hospital. A third dog, Sky, died on the way to an animal hospital, Perry said.

Four other dogs were confiscated. If Doerfler does not sign over rights to the dogs, Animal Services will petition the courts for custody.

"The kennel that had the fight had chain link that was moved, ripped, open so that they could come and go from that kennel," Perry said.

Investigators did not know how the kennel was ripped open. Doerfler told the investigators that he kept the animals in separate kennels and did not know how they got out.

On Wednesday, when Animal Services officers and Tampa police returned to Doerfler's mobile home at 8116 River Shore Drive, they found 90 marijuana plants and steroids.

Ryan said possession of steroids in illegal. If he gave them to an animal, she said, that would violate veterinary regulations.

"You shouldn't administer any drugs unless you are a board certified veterinarian in the state of Florida," she said. "Even rabies shots."

Perry said animals injected with steroids are not a rare sight for Animal Services officers.

"We know they're using them in dogfighting, and we know they're using them in cockfighting," Perry said. "We've seen about a half-dozen cases this year of steroids in dogs and cockfighting."