A Charleston man was arrested Thursday after police said they found several injured dogs and a variety of tools often used in dog fighting.
Jonathan Primus, 35, kept "pit-type" dogs strapped to short chains and heavy objects at his homes in Charleston and Dunbar, according to police reports.
Primus was charged with 16 counts of animal cruelty, according to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha Magistrate Court.
On April 29, a humane officer with the Charleston Police Department first visited Primus' home on Chandler Drive in Charleston after two of his dogs got into a fight, the reports state.
The officer reportedly found three dogs at Primus' home, at least two of which had scars and fresh wounds.
His dogs seemed to be on a strict conditioning program that might include "chemical enhancers, vitamins or other supplements," the officer noted.
A wire cage at the home, according to the complaint, could be used by dog fighters for training.
Primus took one of the dogs to Avalon Animal Hospital with life-threatening injuries two days later, and he reportedly gave the officer a hospital receipt the following day.
A veterinarian said Primus' dog would need a leg amputation, stitches and antibiotics, according to the reports. The doctor also offered to request financial assistance for Primus, who turned down the offer. Primus asked only for antibiotics, the reports state.
The humane officer joined the Metro Drug Unit to support a search warrant for Primus' property in Dunbar, according to the reports.
Authorities found two more dogs with no food or water in their bowls, the reports state. One of the dogs had some of the most "significant scarring from previous animal bites seen by officers to date," according to the report.
The officer also found seven puppies, including two on the edge of dying from natural causes, according to the reports. Employees with the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association seized all the dogs.
A warrant was filed as part of an investigation sparked by the original call about an injured dog. The officer tried to enter the back door of Primus' Charleston home and later discovered it was barricaded from inside with several locks and 2-by-4s, according to the reports.
Authorities found a dog "performing guard duties" on the home's front porch, the reports state. They used a Taser and catch pole on the dog, along with pepper spray, police wrote. Officers then found at least two other dogs at the home.
From the wall to the floor, a foot of blood stained areas of the home's interior, according to the report.
Officers also found a refrigerated container of penicillin, which apparently is used to treat medical wounds or boost dogs' immune systems. Similarly, a substance found in the home reportedly is used to prevent scarring on dogs.
A tow cable with grab hooks, the report states, may have been used to restrain a chemically-enhanced dog. Other items of interest included two stun batons and new tie-out cables.
Primus is being held at South Central Regional Jail on $50,000 bail.
Reach Giuseppe Sabella at giuseppe.sabella@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5189 or follow @Gsabella on Twitter.