Dogs were being 'tested', court told

A video of a pit bull involved in a violent battle with other dogs was shown to magistrates in Cornwall.

The footage was part of a tape seized from the home of a man alleged to be "heavily involved" in dog fighting, Truro magistrates heard.

The fight allegedly took place in the backyard of 38-year-old David Reeves' home in Pennance Lane, Lanner, near Redruth, Cornwall.

Mr Reeves has denied a charge of causing, procuring or assisting at animal fighting or baiting and three charges of permitting unnecessary suffering to one of the dogs.

Head wounds

He has further denied two charges under the Dangerous Dogs Act of possessing two dogs for fighting.

On Monday, RSPCA special operations unit inspector Mike Butcher said that the incident, involving a dog called Red and another black dog which was on a long chain, was intended "to see how a dog reacts to fighting another dog."

He said: "They were on a roll to see how they performed, there was no attempt to pull them apart for seven minutes."

The court also saw another video clip of Red tussling with two black dogs in a field.

Vet Alison Robson said the dog Red, which she considered to be substantially the type of dog known as a pit bull, had suffered around 26 recent and healed punctures and wounds to its head and face.

There were another 23 to other parts of its body.

She said that recent wounds were up to eight days old, others were at least three months old and were all caused by a dog's teeth.

Pit fighting

A bitch, Millie, who was also substantially a pit bull, had five recent or healed wounds caused by fighting with another dog.

RSPCA prosecutor Paul Rogers said when officers from the animal charity raided Mr Reeves' home with the police last August, Red and Millie were among five dogs there.

Mr Reeves said Red had accidentally fought with his mastiff in the garden.

When questioned later about Red and the other dog fighting, he said he has been away while a friend had been looking after his home and animals.

The friend told him Red and the other dog, a Staffordshire, had a "bit of an accident" which he had videoed on Mr Reeves' equipment.

Mr Rogers said Mr Reeves, who published a magazine called Super Canine, had pictures on his walls of dogs fighting in pits, and copies of Game Dog magazine, indicating an interest in fighting dogs.

Jaws forced apart

Also seized from his home were three "break sticks," used to break a dog's jaws apart after it locked onto another animal or object, and an extract of the rules for fighting pit dogs.

The court heard the dogs named in the charges were for fighting, and there were references on Mr Reeves' e-mails of Red having been involved in a fight, and that he was "heavily involved in dog fighting".

David Evans, defending, said it was being contested that either Red or Millie were pit bulls.

The trial was adjourned until Tuesday.