By Alexandra Zayas, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
TAMPA — A Hillsborough jury began deliberating the fate Wednesday afternoon of 49-year-old Maurice Bayless, accused of training and breeding dogs to fight at his "Going Hard Kennels."
On April 1, 2008, Hillsborough County Animal Services confiscated eight pit bull puppies found in a filthy cage at his home. They were later adopted.
Three older dogs had deep bite marks a veterinarian said looked like they came from dogfighting and forced breeding. Seven others were found flea-bitten, parasite-infested and chained. All 10 were deemed too aggressive to adopt and put to death.
In the jury room are boxes of foul-smelling evidence that contain weighted collars, nutritional supplements and drugs prosecutors said were used to strengthen the dogs for competition; medical equipment they said Bayless used to stitch up dogs after fights; breed lineage records they say he used to prove his pups were born to fighting champions.
Bayless' attorney attempted to cast doubt on whether Bayless intended to use the materials for dogfighting.
The state showed jurors a tattoo on Bayless' arm that says "scratch to win."
Rodriguez asked, could it have been a lottery reference? Bayless' twin brother Michael said it was Marine Corps lingo.
Bayless is shown in a video encouraging a panting pit bull to attack another pit bull. Rodriguez said the video wasn't dated. He said prosecutors couldn't prove the dogs were under Bayless' care when they were wounded.
He said most of the evidence, including decade-old dogfighting magazines, was just old junk laying around a messy house.
But, responded Assistant State Attorney Natalia Silver, "we covet what we keep, and that is what this is about.
"Yeah, it started a long time ago. But there is no evidence that it ever stopped."
Alexandra Zayas can be reached at azayas@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3354.