Clay Turner, Dog Fighting, Louisiana 2017

A Louisiana man has been brought to justice for his involvement in the cruel world of dog fighting. Clay Turner, a 61-year-old resident of Loranger, pleaded guilty to possession of an animal for use in an animal fighting venture.

According to court documents, Turner’s involvement in dog fighting began as early as June 22, 2017. He possessed and trained dogs for the purpose of participating in animal fighting ventures. Turner and others discussed gambling on dog fights, arranging and participating in dog fights, sponsoring and exhibiting dogs in dog fights, training and housing dogs for the purposes of dog fighting, commerce in and transport of fighting dogs, and the promotion of dog fights.

Turner also admitted to administering a substance called ‘dex,’ which is actually Dexamethasone, to the dogs to achieve a proper weight for the fights. This horrific practice is a clear indication of Turner’s disregard for animal welfare.

On October 24, 2017, a federal law enforcement team consisting of agents from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the FBI, and the U.S. Marshals Service executed a search warrant on Turner’s residence. During the search, 33 dogs were found on the property, many of which had injuries, scarring, and/or wounding consistent with dog fighting activities. Law enforcement also recovered a large collection of dog fighting paraphernalia.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Jean E. Williams of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division stated, ‘Our system of justice does not tolerate the torment and death of animals in this blood sport for personal entertainment or financial gain.’ She added, ‘Beyond the harm imposed on these dogs, animal shelters, nonprofit organizations, and the taxpayers pay the price for caring for the dogs once they are no longer useful to the dog fighters.’

Turner pleaded guilty to possession of an animal for an animal fighting venture. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 28 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case against Turner was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Matthew D. Evans and Christopher Hale of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Shih of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.