You've probably heard about the criminal case in which [then] Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiring to run an illegal interstate dogfighting operation. But you may not have heard of the related civil case titled "United States of America vs. Approximately 53 Pit Bull Dogs."
Because of the allegations of illegal animal fighting, the Office of Inspector General was the lead federal agency for investigating both cases. In the first case, OIG agents did what OIG agents do to 'bring a perp to justice'--and that led to the fact that Vick is currently serving a 23-month federal prison term in Leavenworth, KS. But in the second case, OIG entered a whole new area of activity for its staff: it was confronted with ensuring for the care of the dogs that had done the fighting and had survived. That's where Beth Marik-Dinkins got involved.
Dinkins is an Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge of OIG's Sub-Office in New York City. In that capacity she not only supervised OIG's criminal investigation of Vick and his four cohorts, but she also handled the logistics for the care of the surviving pit bulls involved in the case.
"During the search of Vick's property in April 2007, Surry County and Virginia state officials found 66 dogs that were still alive," Dinkins recounted. "Typically the procedure in a case like this is that the dogs are in such bad shape that they are euthanized, and the evidence of their involvement is based on photos taken of the dogs, reflecting their condition before they were euthanized." But, in this situation, she noted, because of the presumed 'high profile' nature of this case the Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia--who was to prosecute the case in federal court--determined that he wanted to have live dogs as evidence rather than mere photographs. "So that meant," she explained, "the U.S. Attorney's Office employed the provisions of a law called the 'Animal Fighting Venture Prohibition' to seize over 50 dogs--all pit bulls--for evidence, and then OIG was faced with ensuring for the care of them."
As part of Vick's guilty plea in August 2007, he agreed to provide over $928,000 to pay for the lifetime care of the surviving pit bulls. Dinkins advised that, while one of the dogs ultimately had to be euthanized, the remaining dogs needed care as well as placement, depending on their condition.
She said that the dogs were in U.S. Government custody, in animal control facilities in southeastern Virginia, from June 20 to December 31, 2007. Her job was to arrange for their care, including veterinary care, plus feeding, plus coordinate their rehabilitation, plus work out financial reimbursement to the various animal control facilities which had agreed to take in the dogs. She said that those costs averaged $10 per dog per day--all paid for by Vick.
"I then arranged for the dogs to go through a behavioral assessment conducted by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals," she recounted. Each dog ultimately received a determination on the degree to which it could be rehabilitated. Based on that, a few dogs, thought to be beyond rehabilitation, went to an animal rescue organization in Kanab, Utah "to live out their remaining years with comfort," she noted. "We managed to give them a new lease on life--literally." But all of the remaining pit bulls were placed with various animal rescue organizations around the country, for several months of care and observation--in other words, 'dog foster care'--since those dogs showed the potential either to serve in such capacities as rescue dogs or therapy dogs or to be placed in family homes.
A case like this may or may not have been on Dinkins' mind when she graduated from Ohio's Bowling Green State University in 1991 with a B.S. degree in criminal justice. She joined OIG in 1992 as a Special Agent in Atlanta. From 1997-2000 she was based in Washington, DC as part of the Secretary's Protective Detail. Following an OIG assignment in Beltsville, MD, she moved to New York City in 2006 to assume her current position.
Regarding the pit bulls, Dinkins emphasized the role played by Rebecca Huss, a law professor who specializes in animal law who had been appointed by the federal court to serve as 'special guardian' for the dogs. "At OIG, we really don't have expertise on the care of animals in this type of situation," Dinkins acknowledged. "So we relied on her expertise."
"Some of the dogs had never been inside a building during their whole lives--so you might say they were 'amazed' by such items as stairs and doorways, and had trouble coping with them."
"To my understanding," she added, "this is the first time that an effort to save fighting dogs has ever been done on this scale by the federal government. So we're still cautiously optimistic that this'll all work out, and be a success story. We don't want to get that late night call that one of the dogs has regressed."
"So I'm still sleeping with one eye open."
Last Book Read: "I'm currently reading 'The Divide' by Nicholas Evans."
Last Movie Seen:"The Dark Knight."
Hobbies: "Exercising, reading, and walking my dogs--two mixed breeds that I rescued from a no-kill animal shelter in Northern Virginia."
Something I Don't Want People To Know About Me: "My husband says I snore--but I don't believe him!"
Priorities In The Months Ahead: "Oh yeah, I'd told myself that I was gonna get caught up, once the 'Michael Vick case' was over with. But now I'm in the middle of a food stamp fraud case here in New York City--so I don't think I'll be catching up anywhere, any time soon!"
