John Douglas Fuhrman and Gene Wayne King

Handlers allow greyhound to suffer for 2 days until it died with no veterinary care

Daytona Beach, FL

November, 2005

John Douglas Fuhrman, 26, of Daytona Beach, faced up to 10 years in prison if convicted of felony animal cruelty. He spent 80 days in jail after his arrest in February.  Gene Wayne King, 46, of Houston was also charged and has been jailed since his arrest because he couldn't raise bail.  They were arrested after it was learned that a Greyhound named Petey did not get medical attention for 24 hours after suffering injuries so severe that bones and muscles were exposed, after a fight between dogs at the kennel compound near the dog track.  The dog died after emergency surgery. 

Fuhrman, who was accused of cruelty for allowing a maimed dog suffer for 24 hours before it died, had his charges dismissed

A second dog, Burt, was also found injured but survived and has been adopted by a family and is doing very well.  Both men were independent contractors with Bad Boy Kennels and not employed by the track.   Gene Wayne King charged in the November 2005 death of Petey, could get the same result in court on August 2nd.

Fuhrman was ordered released by Circuit Judge R. Michael Hutcheson on Tuesday, August 1st after his attorney, Jane Stepniak successfully argued that the State Attorney’s Office had ‘defectively’ charged Fuhrman because he did not get the dogs medical attention.   Prosecutors sought to convict Fuhrman for committing cruelty ‘by omission or neglect’ – aspects that don’t exist under State felony statues.  Stepniak stated that the State’s information failed to charge the crime accurately. Cruelty to an animal by neglect or by failure to give care could be charged as a misdemeanor.  The State is looking into filing misdemeanor charges.

King’s attorney, Assistant Public Defender Saul Barron, filed a similar motion which will be heard on August 2nd.

Chris Miller, Daytona Beach Chapter President of Greyhound Pets of America, which runs a racer adoption program is not happy with the outcome.  He stated that he did not know the State law can read that it’s not a crime to leave a dog bleeding on a board for 24 hours. He maintains it is inhumane, immoral and unethical.

Dan Francati, General Manager of the Daytona Beach Kennel Club stated they no longer use the services of Bad Boy Kennel – their contract was not renewed.

The only positive result that came from Petey’s death is that an emergency animal clinic was set up near the track and kennel area.  If other dogs are injured, they go right there.

Update August 10, 2006:

A judge refused to dismiss felony charges against one of two men charged with animal cruelty in the 2005 death of a racing greyhound and injury to another after a fight with other dogs.

Gene Wayne King, 46, of Houston and fellow Bad Boy Kennel employee John Douglas Fuhrman, 26, were charged with two counts of felony animal cruelty after the November 2005 fight between dogs at the kennel compound near the track on International Speedway Boulevard. Fuhrman's charges were dropped last week under a judge's order, but prosecutors have until next week to appeal. King has been jailed since his arrest in February because he hasn't been able to make bail.

Circuit Judge R Michael Hutcheson denied King’s motion to dismiss the case. A trial for King is expected to start the week of August 14th. In plea negotiations, the state has offered King, who has never been arrested before, five years in prison, to be followed by five years’ probation. Judge Hutcheson encouraged the plea agreement, but stated the offer of five years by the state was a punishment he had seen in murder and manslaughter cases.

King could be acquitted of the felony charges against him at trial. The jury would then have the decision of whether to convict him of misdemeanor charges instead.

Update August 15, 2006:

King has been ordered to complete 6 months of probation.  Prosecutor Sandy Derosiers asked for King to be locked up for 2 years after he plead no contest, but the judge sentenced him to time served and probation.  Furrman's case was dismissed in August because he was charged using language not found in state animal cruelty felony laws.  The State Attorneys Office is appealing that ruling.

Reference:

Daytona Beach News

Greyhound Research

MSN News