~snip~
The animals - most found in healthy condition - will probably be euthanized, said Laura Maloney, director of the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The New Orleans-based nonprofit was helping in the dog removal.
Maloney said the dogs could be too dangerous to place in homes.
"These dogs are bred specifically for aggression," she said.
The dogs were on heavy chains in a large fenced lot next to Broussard's home.
Maloney said investigators also found dog fighting "paraphernalia" in the home, including dogfighting magazines, videos of fights and treadmills she said were used in training to help build strength in the animals.
Floyd Broussard lived in a wood-frame house on the property; his son lived in a trailer behind the house, according to police. The family has lived on the property for more than 25 years, neighbors said.
Williams said the father and son are accused of breeding, raising, training and selling dogs for the purpose of dog fighting, which is illegal in all 50 states.
Shane Vincent, who was raised next door and whose parents still live there, said he used to go to "dog pulls" with Guy Boudreaux -contests of dog strength - and knew that Floyd Boudreaux was "famous" for one of the pit bull bloodlines he developed.
But Vincent was surprised to hear about the arrests.
"I never knew him to fight any dogs," Vincent said.
Byron Girouard lives on Rue D'Or, down the street from the Boudreaux home.
"I've known them since I was 5 years old, and I've never heard them talk about fighting dogs," he said. "... Their daughter is my best friend. It's crazy. I heard they had the FBI in there."
Girouard said that the Boudreaux family is well-known in the area and "treated me like a son. If I needed help with anything, they're the ones I know would help."
A search on the Internet turns up several references to Floyd Boudreaux and his pit bulls, including references to him on the Web site for the American Dog Breeders Association.
According to information from the Humane Society, he is known for the "Eli" bloodline of dogs, considered a top choice for dog fighters.
The lineage dates back more than 50 years and Boudreaux's dogs sometimes fetch more than $10,000, according to the Humane Society.
"This man's dogs are sold internationally," Goodwin said.
An Internet Web site that lists contact information for Floyd and Guy Boudreaux offers "Eli" dogs and states that "owning a Boudreaux dog is like owning a piece of history."
The Web site includes a disclaimer that, "No dogs intended or sold for any illegal purposes."
Floyd and Guy Boudreaux each face 64 counts of animal cruelty, 64 counts of dog fighting and one count of possession of steroids.
Williams said Floyd Boudreaux also faces a firearms charge for a sawed-off shotgun allegedly found in his home.
The father and son could face up to 10 years per count on the dog fighting and cruelty charges.
They were being held in the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center on $101,500 bond each.
Good catch. If the details in this story are accurate as reported, the perps deserve what they get. The fact that HSUS is involved, though, immediately activates the ol' skepticism transducer. It may just be that the reporter called them for a quote, or...?
FWIW, I try to stay out of the breed wars. One of the nicest dogs I ever knew was a pit bull mix...and the meanest was a mini-schnauzer who was smaller than a cat. (And one of the nicest dogs I ever knew was also a mini-schnauzer; thus, my breed-agnosticism.)
Of course she won't. Most animal control offices will and should not take on the liability of adopting out any pit bull, let alone ones taken from dog fighters.
Trust me this "person" was involved in dog fighting. It is a big thing with a lot of the cajuns. I live a few minutes from one of the largest cock fighting arenas. I don't understand the mindset of people who enjoy this "sport".