32 Dogs Rescued From Abuse

More than a dozen dogs have been killed and their owners arrested. Police have charged Trammel and Tamla Sturdivant with animal cruelty and took away thirty pit bulls from their home. McKamey says more than thirty dogs total were brought in on September 27th.

McKamey says they were malnourished, and many had scars across their bodies, sings that these animals were not just abused, but being used in dog fights.

Donna Dewees works at the center at says, "When they went to serve this warrant at this gentleman's house, they discovered 32 dogs, 30 pit bulls and 2 other dogs in this residence."

When the dozens of dogs were brought in to McKamey, they knew by the malnourished bodies and scars the dogs were victims of serious abuse, including, a dog fighting ring. "In this instance some of these animals looked like they had been in a dog fighting type situation, and we just wanted to make sure they were removed from a negative situation and placed into a positive."

Police say that negative situation was in the hands of Trammel and Tamla Sturdivant, who are both now charged with animal cruelty. When we went to their home, it was clear we weren't welcome.

A man approached us from the home and said, "They no animals back there now." We told him we just wanted to report teh story and he said, "I can't give you no information because I don't even know who came to do what, I'm just the father and the grandfather."

The man said he was related to the Sturdivants and and his daughter had been arrested.

Then he said, "Somebody did something wrong, somebody talking about withholding evidence and I have no idea what you all are trying to investigate, if you could take your cameras off of me."

McKamey says the situation produced 15 pit bulls so aggressive they had to be put down, and 15 others that need to be nursed back to life. Deweese said, "You're talking about the abuse of a living creature and we intend to prosecute these people to the fullest extent of the law."

McKamey says many of the 15 animals were taken to pit bull rescue shelters in Nashville and Knoxville. If you would like information on how to adopt those dogs, you can call the McKamey Center at 305-6500.

We did some digging and found out that Tamla Sturdivant was convicted of two drug charges in the past and Trammel's list of previous arrests in more than a page long. Depend on us to let you know what happens in this case.