Animal Planet star interested in dogs' plight

Two dogs found tied to a tree earlier this week at a Morgan City residence are being held at the parish animal shelter and have received attention from the star of an Animal Planet reality show, according to sources.
Earlier this week, someone discovered two dogs, a mother and a puppy, in the backyard of a residence in the 300 block of Railroad Avenue, which had been sitting in the mud for two days, said Aimee Monnin, of Ricohoc, who spoke at the January and February Morgan City council meetings about trying to overturn the city’s pit bull ban. Monnin believes the dogs are pit bulls, she said. Morgan City has had a ban on pit bulls since 2006.
Tia Torres, star of Animal Planet’s Pit Bulls and Parolees, was notified about the dogs, and she then contacted Morgan City Mayor Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi, Monnin said.
Monnin hoped that the situation would get resolved and the dogs turned over to Torres, Monnin said. A photo of the dogs tied to a tree shared on the Facebook page for Torres’ business, Villalobos Rescue Center in New Orleans, had more than 6,800 comments and more than 3,700 shares as of this morning. She reposted the photo with updated information, which received more than 3,300 comments and 900 shares.
The owner of the dogs, Felton Charles, was cited Tuesday for failing to provide proper shelter for the dogs, Morgan City Police Spokesman Capt. James Blair said. Charles placed the dogs in the truck to be transported to the St. Mary Parish animal shelter in Centerville, Blair said.
The case is still being investigated, and police are asking Charles to provide documentation proving the dogs have the necessary shots and registration, Blair said. The parish animal shelter will hold the dogs six more days from today, Blair said.
“We always have the responsibility to make sure we protect the rights of the dog owner, at the same time make sure that we’re looking out for the best interest of the dog,” Grizzaffi said. “In this particular case, the picture doesn’t always tell the complete story, but because he had no proof of registration and no proof of vaccination, we decided to take the dogs. At the same time, there’s a responsibility of the owner to tidy up his yard (and) make sure that the dogs’ living arrangements are adequate. And the owner is working towards that.”
City officials do not yet have a plan of what to do with the dogs, the mayor said. If Charles wants the dogs back, Grizzaffi hopes Charles will make sure that he has adequate living arrangements, has his dogs registered and vaccinated, Grizzaffi said.
Grizzaffi said Charles calls the dogs American bulldogs. “We talked to the vet to try to identify the dogs,” Grizzaffi said. “The vet said they do not try to identify a dog. An American bulldog is very close in nature to a pit bull. And if you show up at the vet and ask for registration, they’re going to put on the docket whatever you say.” The only way to positively identify a pit bull is through a DNA test, which the city is prepared to do, Grizzaffi said.
The Daily Review could not find a phone number listed in the phone book for Charles in order to attempt to contact him.

This story was written by Zachary Fitzgerald of The Daily Review staff. Reach him at zfitzgerald@daily-review.com