Necropsies: Greyhounds died of starvation, dehydration

EBRO — Necropsies have been completed on the 32 greyhounds found dead in kennels at Ebro Greyhound Park last week and veterinarians think the animals died of starvation and dehydration.

The trainer of the dogs, 36-year-old Ronnie Williams of Ponce de Leon, has been charged with 37 counts of felony animal cruelty and is being held in the Washington County Jail.

Williams told investigators on the scene the dogs were fine Oct. 27, two days before state investigators found the carcasses, according to the arrest report by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO). He said he went to the kennel to check on the dogs, then drove to check on another kennel of dogs in Mobile, Ala. When he returned to the Ebro kennels 12 hours later, Williams said, about 20 of his dogs were dead. He said he believed the air conditioner stopped cooling, causing the dogs to overheat and die.

However, the problem was not reported, though Williams said he came and went from his kennel several times over the next two days, authorities said.

Five dogs were taken from the kennels alive — three with duct tape wrapped tightly around their throats. All of the dogs, alive and dead, were severely underweight, according to the arrest report and a complaint against Williams by the Florida Department of Pari-Mutuel Wagering. One of the animals is in the care of Panhandle Veterinary Services in Chipley and four have been relocated to other kennels, where they are receiving specialized care, according to a release from Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

The necropsies were performed by Dr. Todd Anderson and Dr. Kim George of Panhandle Veterinary Services with the assistance of investigators. Both doctors have said they think the dogs died from dehydration, starvation or both, according to a release from WCSO.

Investigators have spent much of the week on the Ebro case and researching other allegations of abuse and neglect against greyhounds, according to the WCSO release. During the initial investigation, law enforcement learned Williams had dogs at his home and in a kennel in Mobile, Ala. Officers were sent to both locations and found the animals alive and well, investigators said.

“This is still an active investigation and one ... which is as disturbing as it is complex,” Washington County Sheriff Bobby Haddock stated in the release. “We will continue to explore every allegation presented to us and we are working with law enforcement in several other counties to make certain that abuse of this nature has not occurred at additional locations.”

All of the dogs in Williams’ care have been returned to their owners.

Past complaints

This is not the first time Williams has been investigated. According to the Department of Pari-Mutuel Wagering’s website, 15 complaints have been made against Williams’ license in his 17 years as a greyhound trainer in Florida, resulting in more than a dozen fines.

Five of those complaints were launched when Williams’ dogs tested positive for drugs; three times from August to October in 1997 and again in December 2002 and September 2005. He also was fined $500 in December 2008 for possession of prescription drugs without a prescription and failing to properly store and secure medication and syringes after an inspection of his kennel.

Three of the complaints against Williams were for underweight dogs and were lodged twice in March and April 1994 and once in October 1996. He also was cited for an overweight dog in October 1996 and creating a lengthy delay at a weigh-in September 1994.

With all of the complaints against him, Carey Theil, executive director of Grey2K, a national greyhound advocacy organization, said it is difficult to understand why Williams maintained a Florida license.

Jennifer Meale, communications director for the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, said six of 15 complaints would not be considered violations now because of changes in the law. All of the complaints were handled per the disciplinary policy laid out in state law and none of the infractions would have warranted a suspension or revocation of Williams’ license.

A group of concerned citizens, organized through Facebook and called Justice for the Ebro Greyhounds, will have a rally at 1 p.m. at Ebro Greyhound Park on Saturday.