Louisville man to face grand jury for animal cruelty, dog fighting ring charges

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A grand jury will now take up the charges against a man accused of having a prolific dog fighting ring in Louisville.

Investigators said they were looking into Kareem Garner for about a year before raiding his home. They found four Pitbulls in poor condition and could only say more investigations from that raid are underway.

"A lot of times these dogs just want human attention, they crave human attention and that's why they're good fighting dogs because they'll do whatever you want," Louisville Metro Police Sgt. Lisa Nagle said.

Garner, the man LMPD called "prolific" in the dog fighting world, appeared in court wearing a button up blue shirt, bow tie and glasses.

He's charged with four felony counts of dog fighting and four misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty.

Last month Louisville police said it was a "very specific" tip that led them to Garner's Taylor Berry home on Lillian Avenue.

They found four Pitbull type dogs living in feces-infested kennels and trapped in mud.

Nagle detailed her investigation to the court which included finding handwritten notes at Garner's home detailing the rules of dog fighting, a Facebook page used to communicate the fights and business cards that said "POLO." Nagle testified polo means "Pitbulls only live once."

She said, "Once we executed the search warrant, we found some treadmills which is common for dog fighters to use. We found some spring poles and assortments of vitamins, supplements and vet materials."

Garner’s attorney James Russell argued he’s a Pitbull enthusiast.

He said the charges should be dropped because many of these practices are the same as owners who engage in breeding and dog showing.

"Based on the testimony here today, this was a breeding facility," Russell said. "Judge, I just don't think there's enough connective tissue here to sustain probable cause."

Judge Stephanie Pearce Burke ruled there was enough probable cause to move forward with the charges. Garner is allowed to stay out on bond with the same conditions of he's not supposed to have any animals.

Nagle said the dogs named "KB" ,"Shy girl," "BG," and "M&M," are recovering. She said, "They're doing well. They're thriving. Some are in foster care."

She said dog fighting is a problem in this community. "It's happening everywhere within Jefferson County. You can have dog fights in basements, alleys, vacant homes."

A grand jury is scheduled to take up the case in August.

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