A Lawndale man last week pleaded guilty to 15 counts of animal cruelty and was sentenced to four years of reporting probation, anger management, drug screening and prohibition of ownership of and contact with dogs during the probationary period.
Antoine Talley, 39, was also sentenced to pay more than $3,500 in restitution to the Pennsylvania SPCA for his role in a dogfighting operation on the 300 block of Van Kirk St. in 2013.
After obtaining a search warrant, PSPCA Humane Law Enforcement officers rescued five dogs and arrested Talley. The dogs, four male and one female pit bull-type dogs, were found to be living in unsanitary conditions, with one in an emaciated condition. All of the dogs had scarring and injuries consistent with dog fighting, and both a dog-fighting ring and other paraphernalia associated with dog fighting were found on the premises.
Talley was charged with five felony counts of animal cruelty, five misdemeanor counts in the first degree and five summary counts. In addition to this case, Talley was charged with a felony offense of attending a dog fight in 2000, for which he was sentenced to three years of probation.
The dogs rescued in this case were surrendered to the PSPCA, with two finding homes. Three animals had to be euthanized due to medical and/or behavioral issues.
“Animal fighting is not only a brutal crime, but a crime that is time-consuming and expensive to prosecute,” said Jerry Buckley, CEO of the Pennsylvania SPCA. “The PSPCA is one of the only organizations continuing to do this work, and as is evidenced by this case, the length of time from arrest to conviction can take years. We hope that Talley can be an example of the necessity for speedier sentencing and ultimately harsher penalties for such severe cases of cruelty.”
Anyone with information about cases involving animal cruelty should call the Pennsylvania SPCA’s Cruelty Hotline at 866–601-SPCA. Tips can be left anonymously. ••
