Reality star: Pit bulls were neglected, at least

Tia Torres, star of Animal Planet’s “Pit Bulls & Parolees,” says the plight of the two pit bulls last week tied up outside a Morgan City home should be considered animal cruelty or at least animal neglect.
Torres was contacted by Aimee Monnin of Ricohoc, who is trying to get Morgan City’s ban on pit bulls overturned, to help Monnin in her efforts, Torres said. Torres visited the city last week to talk to dog owners about efforts to reverse the ban, she said.
Torres owns Villalobos Rescue Center in New Orleans and also runs the Assumption Parish animal shelter, she said. Torres routinely works with law enforcement and goes on raids with them, she said.
Last week, while traveling through Morgan City, Torres saw two dogs in a backyard and took a picture.
Torres called police and emailed the photo to police, she said. “I then saw that it was pouring raining, especially on this poor puppy … that was sitting there,” Torres said. “I thought, ‘Well, I know there are probably a lot more bigger crimes happening out there. But the fact is, this puppy was sitting out … in the pouring rain. And there was also another dog ... that I couldn’t get a picture of from where I was,” Torres said.
The owner of the dogs, Felton Charles Jr., was cited Tuesday for failing to provide proper shelter for the dogs. Police asked Charles to provide documentation proving the dogs have the necessary shots and registration, Morgan City police spokesman Capt. James Blair said. The parish animal shelter was scheduled to hold the dogs through Wednesday, Blair said.
“In my opinion, because I’ve been doing this a long time, that was animal cruelty or neglect, at the least,” Torres said. Torres made another call and again nothing happened so she decided to post a photo on Facebook, she said.
Torres was told the dogs were American bulldogs, she said. “I said, ‘Well, I’m telling you they’re not (American bulldogs).’ Being the largest pit bull rescue in the country, I know that they’re not,’” Torres said.
On Thursday, Morgan City Mayor Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi said Charles calls the dogs American bulldogs. Grizzaffi said officials were prepared to do a DNA test to determine the breed of the dogs.
After the dogs were taken to the St. Mary Parish animal shelter, Torres then learned that the dogs may be returned to the owner as long as the owner provides proof of vaccination and cleans up the yard.
“I’m all for giving somebody a chance,” Torres said. “That’s what I do for work. The TV show that we do, that’s what it’s all about, giving somebody a chance, but this was pretty bad,” Torres said. “This wasn’t like a case of someone that tried to put together a little area for their dogs and maybe just didn’t do it right. This was just like pure neglect,” Torres said.
Torres pointed out the irony that she was trying to get the city’s pit bull ban lifted yet she found pit bulls within the city, she said.
The dogs’ treatment could also be a potential public safety hazard, in that dogs that are chained up could be a problem dog later, Torres said.
“An unhappy dog can become a dangerous dog,” Torres said.
Even if someone does not like pit bulls or dogs, they should care what happens to the dogs because it could prevent people from getting bitten one day, Torres said.
According to St. Mary Parish Clerk of Court records, Charles was convicted on two counts of aggravated animal cruelty from an incident that occurred in April 2005. According to clerk of court records, Charles pleaded guilty to one of the counts of aggravated cruelty to animals. In the same incident, Charles had four counts of cruelty to animals charges against him, for which he was not prosecuted, according to court records.
The Daily Review could not locate an affidavit or any document that would give details as to what Charles was accused of in the April 2005 incident.
Charles left a message Friday that he wanted to speak with The Daily Review about last week’s incident regarding his dogs. The Daily Review tried several times this morning to reach Charles on the phone number he left, but was unable to reach him.
This morning, Blair said the two dogs are still being held at the St. Mary Parish animal shelter, and no decision has been made yet as to whether the dogs will be returned to Charles.

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