Lawsuit filed against 2 dogs: Why they are defendants in a dogfighting case

Dogs as defendants? Apparently so. Two dogs are listed as defendants in a complaint filed recently by a Justice Department attorney in Indiana.

More precisely, the case has been filed against "approximately two terrier type mix dogs." But the case is not about penalizing the dogs. Instead, it's about how they were allegedly used in a dogfighting operation – and the dogs' future.

A lively discussion about the case, filed Dec. 5 by Zachary Myers, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, arose when Reuters crime and justice reporter Brad Heath posted the complaint on the social media platform BlueSky on Tuesday.

"The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against approximately two dogs," he said in the post with an image of the complaint's front page and a picture of one of the defendants.

He also posted a link to the complaint, saying, that reading it "will likely not make you happy."

That's because the complaint said when the dogs were seized on or about June 28, 2024 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General from the residence in Anderson, Indiana, they were found in "one dirty crate with no food or water."

Also found on the premises: "paraphernalia common for dog fighters to possess," according to the complaint.

The complaint also notes that the Anderson (Indiana) Police Department and Anderson Animal Control Services had seized 10 dogs from the residence on Oct. 31, 2023. Several of the dogs were found to have "pre-existing injuries … consistent with dogs that are used for fighting," according to the complaint.

The complaint notes that two persons at the residence have been charged in related to the incident. Thomas Rayford was indicted on July 10, 2024 on charges of conspiracy to engage in an an animal fighting venture and for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is currently scheduled for a trial beginning March 31, 2025. Elizabeth Goodson has agreed to plead guilty to one count of perjury, the complaint says.

The good news: "The Defendant Dogs" are getting rehab and veterinary care from a contractor while in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, the complaint says.

Watch: Man caught on video jumping over courtroom bench to attack judge sentenced to prison

Why were the dogs listed as defendants?

Under the Animal Welfare Act, which prohibits animal fighting, any dogs involved can be forfeited property. The suit calls out for "all parties to appear and show cause why the forfeiture should not be decreed."

That action has led to dogs been listed as defendants before including another dogfighting case in Mitchell County, Georgia, in which more than 60 dogs were listed as defendants so they could be forfeited, Newsweek reported.

And back in 2016, "approximately 64 dogs" were listed as defendants in another dogfighting case filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, according to The Washington Post.

Still, the legal aspects led to some howls on the social media platform.

People react to lawsuit naming dogs

Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dogs listed as defendants in dogfighting case. Why are they to blame?