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Pit bull fighting suspect in court
By Linda Payne, Staff WriterAs originally suspected, the case involving dozens of abused pitbulls now has officially become a dog fighting case. Dog fighting charges have been filed against the owner of a Dudley Shoals property where area law enforcement officers located 80 malnourished pit bulls and several dead animals. On April 18, Animal Care and Control Field Representative Greg Greene charged Rockey Oran Sigmon, 31, of 3250 Oran Yount Lane, Granite Falls, with four counts of felony dog fighting. Officers served the warrant shortly before 3 p.m. while Sigmon was confined to the Caldwell County Detention Center for drug charges. He was given a $10,000 bond. Sigmon made his first appearance on the dog fighting charges Tuesday in Caldwell County District Court. J. Michael Correll was appointed as his attorney, and a probable cause hearing has been scheduled for Monday, May 12. Correll also is representing Sigmon and his wife Jennifer Leigh German Sigmon, 28, on pending drug charges. Rockey and Jennifer Sigmon were charged with felony trafficking cocaine, felony possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana and felony maintaining a vehicle or dwelling for controlled substances the morning of April 2. Caldwell County Sheriff's Office deputies filed those charges after they found more than 450 grams of powder cocaine and marijuana, $25,486 and several firearms at their home. They couple each received a $250,000 secured bond for the drug charges and are scheduled to appear in District Court Thursday, April 24. It was during that drug raid that officers made the grisly discovery of the dogs. They found 36 dogs on the property and another 44 in a nearby field. Many were underweight, had inadequate shelter, appeared to have no proof of vaccinations and were tied to chains that were too short. Greene also noted that at least one dog had no food or water at all. Animal Care and Control officers seized four of the dogs April 2 that needed immediate medical treatment. They were taken to Lake Hickory Veterinary Hospital where Dr. Denise Glander treated them. The remaining 76 dogs were left on the property for a few more days. When officers went to get the remaining dogs April 8, they discovered that more than half of them had been removed from the property. Animal Care and Control Director Chad Barr explained that officers did not seize the remaining dogs the first day because they could not show a link to illegal activity. However, after reviewing their evidence and sharing information received from anonymous phone calls with the District Attorney's office, the DA office requested the seizure of the animals, as well as other evidence. Barr said officers seized paraphernalia discovered during other searches, including a breeding rack, a parting stick, strength-training tools and a guide to breeding and training pit bulls. Humane Society of the United States Deputy Manager of Animal Fighting Law Enforcement Chris Schindler, who came from Washington D.C., to assist in the investigation, also discovered documentation that day that appeared to be a pedigree list. He explained that many of the blood lines listed were those connected with dogfighting. Animal Care and Control officers could not be reached Tuesday to discuss whether additional charges are pending.
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