After two years of waiting, 43-years-old ELMER JAMES GIVENS JR. (pictured), was finally sentenced for animal cruelty after a hundred and seven (107) innocent dogs were seized from his Tacoma home between December 2019 and March 2021.
Officials had executed three search warrants at his property in the 9000 block of Portland Avenue East. In October 2020, during a second search warrant authorities removed thirty-six (36) dogs from GIVENS’ home. The Voiceless Victims were underweight, had signs of dog fighting and over-breeding. Six dogs were found to have BB pellets embedded in their bodies. Pierce County prosecutors said that in 2020, GIVENS was seen shooting two dogs with BB pellets. Many dogs were found locked in crates with no food or water, and many crates had built up feces.
In another search, investigators found materials related to dogfighting, including betting lists, match sheets and win/loss records.
GIVENS was arrested in March 2021, and charged with seventy-four (74) counts of animal cruelty and one count of animal fighting. As many of you may remember, on March 17, 2023, GIVENS pled guilty to only nine (9) counts of first-degree animal cruelty and one (1) count of second-degree animal cruelty.
On Friday, May 5, 2023, in Pierce County Superior Court, Judge Taetasha Davis sentenced GIVENS to ten (10) months behind bars. GIVENS will then be placed on probation for only two (2) years.
The prosecuting attorney recommended GIVENS serve six months in jail but Judge Davis said: “I do not believe six months is sufficient” and added the other four (4) months.
Still not enough, as far as I am concerned! It is my personal opinion that animal abusers should remain behind bars until their useless existence expires!
GIVENS was ordered to give up any animals in his “possession”, and received a lifetime ban on “owning”, caring for or residing with animals.
According to The News Tribune, “Prosecutors wrote in the charging papers that Animal Control consulted a Humane Society International specialist on the case who said Givens and his dogs had come up in separate investigations throughout the United States and internationally.”
On Friday, March 17, 2023, in a Pierce County courthouse, ELMER JAMES GIVENS JR. pled guilty to 10 counts of animal cruelty.
KOMO News reports that as part of the guilty plea, Pierce County prosecutors recommended that GIVENS serve six months in custody and be given a lifetime ban on owning, caring for, possessing an animal, or residing in any house where an animal is present.
Additionally, prosecutors are asking the judge that GIVENS “forfeit any animals currently in his possession, pay back costs for the dogs' veterinary care, and attend animal abuse training.”
As reported by KOMO News, GIVENS has now had 107 dogs seized from his home since 2019.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled to take place on Friday, May 19, 2023.
On Wednesday, March 3, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office arrested 41-year-old ELMER JAMES GIVENS JR. (pictured below).
KOMO NEWS reports that according to Sgt. Darren Moss, deputies were at GIVENS JR.’s property in the 9000 block of Portland Avenue E. to serve a warrant for GIVENS JR. “after prosecutors filed 75 animal cruelty-related charges Tuesday stemming from two previous visits and dog seizures at the home over the past two years.”
While they were there, deputies discovered twenty-three dogs who were then removed.
Authorities said one of the furbabies is receiving emergency medical treatment.
The other 22 furbabies were taken by animal control.
GIVENS JR. was booked into the Pierce County Jail and online records show he is still in custody at time of writing.
He is facing charges for animal fighting animal cruelty first-degree and animal cruelty second-degree.
GIVENS JR. is expected to make his first court appearance Thursday, March 4, 2021.
As reported by KOMO NEWS, on November 14, 2019, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office responded to GIVENS JR. ‘s property to investigate a report about six Pitbulls who appeared to be starved and cold.
At the time, prosecutors said that deputies determined several Pitbulls were underweight and at least four had scarring and other signs consistent with dogfighting.
When deputies went back to GIVENS JR.’s residence in December 2019, to serve a search warrant, they discovered forty-eight more dogs. There weren’t just adult dogs in the property. Deputies found puppies in poor to very poor condition.
Many of them were locked in crates in a garage with no lighting or ventilation and covered in urine and feces. Others were housed in outdoor wire kennels or chained to the driveway.
The search also led to the discovery of several items indicating a breeding program and dog fighting.
On that occasion all forty-eight dogs were also removed by animal control.
At the time, GIVENS JR. was arrested and was told he was not allowed to keep more than five dogs on his property. But GIVENS JR. did not comply.
In fact, prosecutors say that in October 2020, one of GIVENS JR.’s neighbors saw a Facebook post about a woman dropping off a dog at GIVENS’s JR.’s home and his suspicions led him to go to the house where he found several dogs in kennels and two chained to the ground.
Two days later, the neighbor went back with a drone.
It emerged that several other dogs were being kept in cages outside and GIVENS JR. was shooting pellet guns at the kennels and chicken coops.
Prosecutors said at least one dog was hit.
The neighbor also recorded the condition the poor animals were living in and finally presented all the facts and evidence to the police.
As a result, a search warrant was executed at GIVENS JR.’s property.
According to prosecutors, dozens of dogs were discovered to be in various states of disarray. There was evidence of breeding and animal fighting.
All thirty-six dogs were removed from the property.
Although GIVENS JR. was arrested, he was unable to be booked into the Pierce County Jail due to the damn COVID-19 restrictions.
One of the alarming aspects of this case is that since 2019, 107 INNOCENT dogs have been seized from GIVENS JR.’s property.
I came across a petition addressed to the Pierce County Sheriff's office & Pierce County Prosecutors office, Washington State asking to punish ELMER JAMES GIVENS JR. to the full extent of the law.
When I signed it, more than 48,500 signatures had already been collected!
Please, keep in mind the judges who have presided over GIVENS JR.’s cases over the years have allowed him to keep changing his victims!
Let this waste of life rot in jail already!!!
Freedom is too precious to be enjoyed by those who hurt and kill animals!
~ Original story: December 20, 2019
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, animal control received a tip that many Pit bulls appeared to be starving and were possibly being used for breeding at a Tacoma home on the 9000 block of Portland Avenue.
The Department wrote in their Facebook post: “An animal control officer contacted the owner of the residence and asked to see some of the dogs. The owner showed the officer six dogs. All of them were malnourished, had wounds and scars and were afraid of the owner. Three of the dogs appeared to have given birth to puppies within the last six months.
On Dec. 18, Pierce County Animal Control officers served a search warrant with assistance from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, the Washington State Gambling Commission, and the Seattle Animal Shelter.
During the search, officers found dozens of dogs locked in crates inside a garage with no ventilation or lighting. The dogs were lying in their own urine and feces.
Officers also found paraphernalia associated with dog fighting and breeding, including: medications, syringes, first-aid supplies and training tools.
Animal Control removed 49 dogs from the property, including puppies. Most of the dogs were rated as being in poor or very poor body condition. Eleven of the dogs needed medical attention and were transported to a local vet. The others were transported to the Tacoma Humane Society.”
The ‘owner’ of these innocent souls was identified as 40-year-old ELMER GIVENS JR.
He was booked into the Pierce County Jail on charges of animal cruelty and animal fighting.
The criminal is already out on bond!!!
Washington State Gambling Commission Director Dave Trujillo said: “Dog fighting is a brutal blood sport that is almost always operated solely for the purpose of conducting illegal gambling.”
I am glad to see Mr. Trujillo taking a stand condemning this but let us call it what is.
Any deliberate act of mistreatment, injury or harm to a defenseless animal is ABUSE.
KILLING animals who are unable to fight back, defend themselves or are unevenly matched (and yes, I mean people who hunt animals for pleasure) is MURDER. Using phrases like "blood sport" makes it almost sound respectable and there is no way anyone should think of it this way.
Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from official news outlets. Links included.
Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.
Picture used for mugshot shared from Q 13 Fox.
Pictures in the gallery shared from King 5, Q 13 Fox, KOMO News, and The News Tribune.
