New York City is Underground Capital of Professional Dog Fighting - And Home to One of the Most Notorious People in Violent World

Yes, many think that only the seamy south is home to dog fighting. Yet, unfortunately, you must look way beyond the south to find more dog fighting operations. Sadly, as you’ll see, New York is home to another Notorious Sicko. Nope, it aint Michael Vick.

Article:

DOGFIGHT CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

http://www.nypost.com/seven/10142007/news/
regionalnews/dogfight_capital_of_the_world.htm

By ELIZABETH WOLFF

October 14, 2007 -- New York City is the underground capital of professional dogfighting - and home to one of the most notorious figures in that dark and violent world.

Under the kennel name Big Apple, Bronx breeder Ralph Reyes is behind the most successful fighting dogs on the underground national circuit, according to animal rights activists.

They say his stable includes grand pit bull champion Demon and Georgia Girl, an animal who won a notoriously bloody, nearly five-hour match in 2006, the longest on record - and a fact the kennel proudly advertises on an industry Web site that posts dogs' pedigrees, photos and wins.

Reyes "watched his favorite pet kill himself for his owner's approval," said an informant for the Humane Society of the United States, who spoke to The Post on condition of anonymity.

"He's the No. 1 most prominent dogfighter in New York City, and in our top 20 most notorious professional dogfighters in the U.S.," said John Goodwin, manager of the HSUS National Animal Fighting Task Force, which monitors and investigates animal fighting and helps spur arrests.

Goodwin's team of investigators and informants identified Reyes as the head of Big Apple kennel, which operates illegally out of a basement apartment of a three-story multifamily walkup on Valentine Avenue.

The Big Apple kennel - neither a legal kennel nor a business entity, even though it has boarding and training facilities throughout The Bronx and elsewhere - remains virtually untouchable so far, investigators say.

No one is sure how many dogs Big Apple has sent into the ring to their deaths, though 26 top-level Bronx bulldogs are on the industry Web site. Two have made the cover of underground dog-fighting magazines that circulate widely.

While dog owners schedule an official fight at least two months in advance to allow for the dogs' conditioning, the mega-shows, which occur in the five boroughs, are months in the planning.

Fighters come from as far as Puerto Rico, Florida and Texas to match their dogs with purses ranging from $300 to $300,000 for prized fighters and crowds swelling to 500, sources have told The Post.

"The Super Bowl of dogfighting shows come to New York City," Goodwin said.

And Demon is certainly one of the hands-down superstars of the circuit. The dog's five wins in 2006 earned him the cover of the Sporting Dog Journal this summer - and a national following of bloodthirsty fans.

The ruthless Reyes, whose pit bull tattoo covers his left bicep, also helped train a predecessor to Demon - Haunch, whose brutal fight to the death put Big Apple on the map and caught the attention of the HSUS. According to a story submitted by Big Apple to Game Dog Quarterly, Haunch was prepped for the 2004 grand champ title after he'd already retired and was a house pet and breeding dog.

"Haunch was never in control, losing an eye, and his muzzle crushed, he still tried to dig the chest and did some damage . . . Haunch was still biting hard in the chest and hurting the dog . . Veteran dog men were there saying it will be a long time coming before you ever see that again," the magazine story reported.

Haunch was victorious, but mortally wounded, according to Goodwin, who confirmed the account through interstate informants and monitoring Web chatter.

When approached by The Post, Reyes - about whom little is known outside his rep on the circuit - denied he owned Demon or was behind Big Apple kennels. He has no arrest record.

"No, that's another guy, Big Sexy . . . He got Demon," said the mechanic-by-day, who's missing his two front teeth.

The HSUS said the person nicknamed "Big Sexy" is actually Reyes' second-in-command.

Reyes told The Post he rents out a basement apartment where he gets paid to care for other peoples' pit bulls. He nervously admitted he was currently caring for two, "Lucky" and "Lady."

He then went on to brag about a dog "I'd only feed eggs and spinach. He was great. . . I had him pulling me on a skateboard down to 138th [Street], stopping in the red [lights], and back in two hours."

That diet and exercise perfectly matches a description Big Apple provided to a dogfighting magazine about Haunch's training. Reyes first claimed the dog died, then said it had gone to Texas.

Graying and overweight, Reyes said he was a tired man with gout, a wife, and a young child, and lived around the corner.

"I can't drink . . . I don't smoke . . . I wish I could help you, but Big Apple's not me," Reyes said.

According to Goodwin, New York authorities have virtually turned a blind eye to the illegal activity.

"[The city is] at the center of organized dogfighting because of the lack of enforcement," he said. "Building cases takes time, and it requires the cooperation of local officials."

The HSUS has given up its New York City investigations because it doesn't get the support they need from officials who would be responsible for making the arrests, Goodwin complained.

"We haven't had the enthusiasm from law enforcement that we needed" to pursue probes and raids here, he says.

And as a result, "New York City is the capital for dog fighting," he claims - an assertion that belies the popular notion that, as the case against former Atlanta Falcons' quarterback Michael Vick case illustrated, dogfighting is a phenomenon more common in the rural South.

A spokeman for the ASPCA, which has the authority to make arrests for animal cruelty, said the HSUS told them of Big Apple's existence in 2006, but gave no address or leads.

"If they're reporting this to the ASPCA and we're not following through, I don't understand why they're not speaking out to other law enforcement organizations in the city," said Assistant Law Enforcement Director Joseph Pentangelo.

"The NYPD is duty-bound to investigate. We're not a government agency."