HBO documentary to tell tale of animal abuse along Arkansas, Missouri border

HBO will premiere a documentary tonight entitled "Dealing Dogs," which centers on the Martin Creek Kennel in Arkansas but contains footage shot in Missouri.

The kennel and its owner, C.C. Baird, have become notorious in recent years for abuse of dogs and for using questionable means to procure animals, according to the USDA. The documentary airs tonight at 9 p.m. and will be rebroadcast at later dates.

As a "Class B" dealer of pets, Baird legally obtained animals from "random sources," and resold them to biomedical facilities or other types of laboratories.

But the HBO documentary shows Baird violated numerous USDA guidelines and skirted oversight of his business. Filmed in 2002 as part of a six-month undercover project conducted by California-based Last Chance for Animals, "Dealing Dogs" uncovers an underworld of dog-napping, unsanitary conditions and widespread abuse.

Even before the documentary, Baird was widely known to obtain dogs from public places in Southern Missouri like the Poplar Bluff Sale Barn, a weekly flea market and livestock sale. He was also known to employ "bunchers," or people who prowled county roads and neighborhoods picking up stray dogs. These bunchers are reported to have operated extensively in Butler County. Many of the dogs they obtained were suspected to be stolen pets.

By using an undercover agent, LCA and HBO showed that Baird made no attempts to determine whether the dogs he purchased had proper documentation.

A hidden camera was used to film beatings and shootings of dogs as well as corpses of dogs butchered on the Baird property allegedly for organ-sale.

Lisa Beal of the LCA said the documentary is difficult, but important.

Baird will be sentenced early this year as part of the largest animal cruelty case in U.S. history and could face up to 10 years in prison and up to $5 million in fines. Baird and his wife have already paid more than $250,000 in fines in 2005 for violating the Animal Welfare Act.

The documentary is directed by seven-time Emmy winner Tom Simon and Sarah Teale.

tgreaney@semissourian.com

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