DOG FIGHTING RINGLEADER JAILED FOR CRUELTY AND ATTEMPTS TO BREED THE 'ULTIMATE FIGHTING DOG'
John Herbert Knibbs, aged 55, has been convicted for the third time for keeping and training dogs for fighting.The case involved disturbing footage and messages showing dogs being forced to fight for up to 45 minutes, including a dog named Baddy and other breeds such as American Bulldog, Bully Kutta cross Presa Canario, and Pitbull Terrier.
The police and RSPCA raided a property in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, in September 2017 and found eight dogs in poor health and brutalized from fighting, with evidence including scars, wounds, and disturbing messages about fights.
Videos depicted dogs tearing each other apart, and images displayed severe injuries.
Investigations revealed that the gang aimed to breed a 'very large dog,' dubbed the 'ultimate dog.' Knibbs had previously been prosecuted for dog fighting in 2009 and disqualified from keeping animals for life, but he breached this ban in 2016 and changed his name to avoid detection.
Despite his prior convictions, he was found guilty at Lincoln Magistrates' Court in his absence on a seven-day trial.
Additionally, accomplices Kimberleigh Joanne Steele and Stephen John Gardner were convicted for aiding and abetting or keeping banned dogs.
Knibbs and Steele failed to attend court for sentencing, and a warrant for their arrest remains active, along with one for Gardner, who also failed to appear.
The case underscores the barbarity of dog fighting practices and the ongoing law enforcement efforts to combat animal cruelty.
