ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A tip about abused dogs at a north St. Louis County home led police down an even darker path when they went to check out the garage.
“Stacked on top of each other in cages,” North County Police Cooperative Major Ron Martin said. “…sitting on their own feces. A lot of the dogs had several injuries, bite marks and scars, and open wounds on their head and their body, which is really consistent with dog fighting.”
Martin says the video and pictures say it all. Animals were scratching at their cages and pushing their faces to the light as officers arrived on August 31.
Martin pointed to one picture, saying, “You can just see a look in this dog’s eyes that he’s saying, ‘Thank you, you saved me.’”
On the body cam footage, you could hear one officer say, “Your horror is over.”
Martin added: “If that doesn’t resonate with you, I don’t know what does.”
Police built their case over the last week, leading to criminal charges and U.S. Marshals showing up at the suspect’s door. He wasn’t home.
Late Tuesday, suspect Brian Maclin turned himself in to police. He’s been charged with felony dogfighting and 13 misdemeanors, including animal abuse and animal neglect.
“What helps me and what makes me feel good is that 13 dogs are not going to be in pain anymore,” Martin said. “They’ve all been saved.”
One of the dogs has already been adopted, leaving 12 other animals that need new homes.
