Investigators found the remains of as many as 2000 animals including hundreds of greyhounds on the property of Rhodes, age 68, property.  Rhodes told authorities he has been shooting and burying greyhounds at a charge of $10 per animal for more than 40 years.

State officials obtained a warrant to search the 18 acres after receiving a tip from Florida investigators.  Satellite images showed animal bones strewn about the property and investigators used the photographs to convince a judge to issue the warrant.  The Florida officials were investigating allegations that greyhounds form Pensacola Greyhound Park were being improperly destroyed.

Baldwin County District Attorney David Whetstone said he is considering criminal charges against Rhodes under the state's "Gucci Law" if any of the animals underwent severe pain or were tortured.  The 2-year-old law was named for a Mobile dog that survived torture.  If convicted of the felony Rhodes could spend up to 10 years in prison.  Other charges including misdemeanor animal cruelty, which is punishable by a maximum of 1 year in jail.

  (Photo courtesy of Jim Sands/the Pensacola News Journal - picture of Rhodes demonstrating how he would hold the collar on a dog while using a gun to euthanize the animal).

When the search warrant was served on Rhodes, investigators unearthed 40 freshly killed canines.  Whetstone had a veterinarian necropsy 4 of the dogs and determined only 1 had been shot cleanly through the brain.  The others were found to have bullet wounds through their necks and elsewhere, indicating they could have suffered before dying.

In Florida, it is illegal for pets to be killed by anyone other than a licensed veterinarian.  Whetstone said sick or threatening dogs can be shot in Alabama, but it is a misdemeanor to put down healthy dogs.  It is a felony to torture them.

Upon further investigation, Sheriff's investigator Huey Mack Jr. said Rhodes has been charged with 3 felony animal cruelty charges and is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

In another investigation by the Alabama Department  of Agriculture and Industries, Rhodes was found to haul away downed or dead livestock for other farmers and used the ground meet to feed greyhounds and hogs he raised.

Alabama law requires animals that die or are killed be disposed of in 2 ways within 24 hours by either being buried or burned.  Feeding dead livestock to swine is prohibited because it could pass disease and pose a health threat to humans.  Whetstone said Rhodes could face health department sanctions for collecting dead cows and horses in the area to feed to his dogs, goats and hogs.

The charges state Rhodes, a former security guard at a greyhound racetrack, shot injured or sick greyhounds after owners hired him to dispose of the animals.

Rhodes grew up in Wyoming and South Dakota.  His first job was out of high school handling greyhounds at the Black Hills Kennel Club.

Update 11/8/02:

3 more people have been arrested on animal cruelty charges in connection wit the deaths of thousands of aging greyhounds over the past 4 decades.

Ursula O'Donnell, Paul Discolo, Jr. and John W. Smith all had been arrested in Florida.  Clarence Ray Patterson another Florida resident is the 4th suspect being pursued on similar charges.

O'Donnell was arrested at the Melbourne Greyhound Park in Melbourne, Discolo was arrested at Ebro Greyhound Park in Chipley and Smith was arrested in Marathon.

A grand jury in Baldwin County, AL claims Discolo shot a greyhound in agreement with O'Donnell, Smith and others including Rhodes.  The new indictments describe the dog shootings as torture and not humane as Rhodes had previously stated.

Investigators believe the dogs were shipped from tracks across Florida to Pensacola for Rhodes to pick up.  Some of the dogs came from as far south as Tampa. 

Bonds for O'Donnell, Discolo and Smith were set at $7,5000.  They are expected to be extradited from Florida to Alabama for trial.

Update 7/3/03:

The 2 cases against Rhodes has been closed due to his unexpected death.  Rhodes died of natural causes.

Update 4/23/04:

Lawyers asked Baldwin County Circuit Judge Robert Wilters to dismiss animal cruelty charges against their clients based on lack of admissible evidence.  They argued that all evidence against their clients came either from Rhodes, who died last year or from Patterson, who was missing.

Update 6/30/04:

Patterson, age 61, had eluded authorities for 2 years.  He was found in the Baldwin County Jail in Bay Minette.  Patterson had been transferred by Mobile County authorities in March to the Baldwin County jail for 2 counts of felony cruelty to animals.

Patterson was arraigned on June 18th on the charges and plead innocent through a written waiver.

Whetstone said Patterson's presence significantly improves the state's case against the other 3 defendants, arguing that Patterson's previous statements to investigators should be admissible under an exception to hearsay rule.

Patterson operated the Red Rock Kennel at the Pensacola Greyhound Track.

In early May Pensacola Greyhound Track general manger Nick Schlickin fired 4 employees who were implicated in this case.  Rhodes, 2 other security guards and Patterson were fired.

Update 1/25/05:

A Baldwin County judge dismissed animal cruelty charges against 3 people accused of participating in an illegal euthanasia enterprise involving washed-up greyhound racing dogs.

Circuit Judge Robert Wilters agreed to dismiss the charges at the request of DA Whetstone, who said he would not have enough evidence to prosecute them under a court ruling barring statements made by Rhodes & Patterson.

Rhodes died in June 2003 and Patterson refused to testify.  Whetstone said he will decide later this week whether to prosecute Patterson.  Investigators have said Patterson made certain self-incriminating statements, and the judge ruled those could be admitted into evidence.  Whetstone noted that Patterson spent more than 10 months in jail awaiting trial before the judge allowed him to leave on personal recognizance because he was unable to make the $7,500 bond.

After law enforcement authorities brought felony charges in this case, the state Legislature exempted greyhound dogs in the racing industry from the statute.  Illegally killing these dogs now is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a maximum of 90 days in jail.

The National Greyhound Association had plans to take punitive action against the owners of the greyhounds killed.  Those members could have been expelled from Greyhound racing for life, but because the case cannot proceed further they cannot carry out the internal disciplinary process as expected.

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