This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A West Jordan man is accused of dog fighting and cruelty to a pit bull.
In charges filed Tuesday, police wrote that a man reported seeing two men holding leashed dogs that were fighting while a third man videotaped the fight on June 30 at a park near 8300 South and 4300 West. The man said the dogs didn't have muzzles, and he could hear a dog whimpering.
Officers found a group of people with two pit bulls at the park. One of the pit bulls, named Pawk, was panting, lethargic and collapsing on his side, police wrote. Pawk's right ear was bleeding, and he was wearing a mesh muzzle, preventing him from panting effectively, police wrote.
Pawk's owner said he had no water for the dog, police said. When asked about the fight, he said that Pawk and the other pit bull live near each other and do not get along, so the owners decided to let the dogs fight it out, police wrote.
The officer asked Pawk's owner if the fight was videotaped, police wrote; the owner allegedly said they tried to film the fight, but the camera had no memory card.
Pawk's owner, 20, was charged with third-degree felony dog fighting and misdemeanor cruelty to an animal.
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