Dognappers take pit bulls from shelter: Police believe animals stolen for dogfights; four arrested

SPOKANE — Chewie, the tough and nimble pit bull kept for over a year at the county's animal shelter as evidence in a felony dogfighting trial, got a brief taste of freedom Sunday night.

But it wasn't the kind that animal welfare advocates, who have been trying to find sanctuaries for Chewie and seven other battle-scarred dogs dubbed the "Great Eight," had been hoping for.

Four intruders broke into the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service twice over the Memorial Day weekend, stealing two pit bulls Saturday night and nabbing Chewie on Sunday.

A resident noticed a suspicious car near the shelter Sunday, and sheriff's deputies responded. They found a gray Oldsmobile parked across from the shelter at 2521 N. Flora Road around 10:20 p.m.

When they approached the car, they saw a dog crate in the back seat stenciled "Spokane County." Chewie was inside.

The law enforcement officers discovered that the car's four occupants had "been commissioned to steal pit bulls for a suspect who planned on using them in fights," according to a Spokane County Sheriff's Office news release.

One of the pit bulls from Saturday night's heist was delivered to that suspect, who was not identified by police; the other was found running loose in Spokane Valley and was returned to SCRAPS the next day. Those dogs were not from the Great Eight pack.

Sheriff's deputies arrested and booked the four suspects for two counts each of second-degree burglary.

One was a 16-year old who was booked into the county's juvenile detention center.

The adults were booked into the Spokane County Jail

An investigation into the theft is continuing, said SCRAPS director Nancy Hill.

"In my opinion, someone was stealing these dogs for street fighting. We are thrilled that the Spokane Valley deputies responded so fast," Hill said.

Hill said it's unlikely that the pit bull heist is related to last year's discovery of an organized dogfighting ring in the Spokane Valley that led to the state's first dogfighting convictions. Peter Nelson and Alfredo Renteria were both recently sentenced to eight months in jail for animal fighting, a Class C felony.

Meanwhile, SCRAPS is imposing an early June deadline to decide the fate of the Great Eight. They could be euthanized.

An Illinois dog sanctuary contacted SCRAPS this week about possibly taking some of the animals, Hill said.

But other animal sanctuaries are full, and the dogs are not suited to be placed with families.

"Every avenue has reached a dead end. We can only put so many resources into this," Hill said.

"These dogs are victims, but they are taking up room. It's not a perfect world," she added.