Police had early signs cocaine smuggler liked bestiality

Last week's animal-abuse arrest of a convicted cocaine smuggler in Washington wasn't the first sign of bestiality authorities had in his case.

A Monroe police commander who helped search Douglas Spink's sport-utility vehicle in 2005 says Spink was strangely protective of a German shephard that was with him - and he had stickers on the car indicating he was an animal-man-love activist.

Commander Steve Clopp said investigators didn't bother with those clues because they had much more pressing concerns, namely the 372 pounds of cocaine in the SUV.

Spink was once a wealthy entrepreneur in Oregon. He received a three-year sentence because he helped bring down the smuggling ring. Agents arrested him last week on federal charges that he violated his supervised release from prison by committing animal abuse.

Investigators say he appears to have been running a bestiality farm in Whatcom County where visitors could have sex with animals. Spink's lawyer says there's no evidence he engaged in bestiality.