Kay County undersheriff Steve Kelley said his office has received enough donations to care for the more than 100 Pit Bulls found near Newkirk for another three to four weeks.
Kelley has also gotten at least 50 suggestions on how Jerry Southern might be punished should he be convicted of a crime for mistreating the animals.
Authorities believe the Wichita man was raising the animals?for a dog fighting operation. Court officials said formal charges in the case are expected to be filed next week.
Law enforcement officials have said they are hopeful Southern faces an animal cruelty charge for each dog, a total of 106, that he owned.
If that were to happen ? and if Southern were punished to the full extent of the law ? he faces the prospect of decades in prison. One count of animal cruelty can carry a sentence of up to five years in Oklahoma, though any sentence is ultimately left to a judge.
It’s obvious to Kelley there is considerable interest in the case.
"We’re getting checks in for $20, $30, $50 and even $500, clear from New York," Kelley said. "We’ve had over? $4,000 in cash donations. We’ve got dog houses, everyone owns their own dog dish and we have plenty of straw – a lot more than what we need right now."
Kelley has asked to donations cease for the time being because there is limited space for storage.
The dogs are in the sheriff’s custody right now but recommendations from two local veterinarians, several organizations and the chief investigator for the state veterinarian association have been submitted to District Court. Kelley looks for a decision within a few days.
Two puppies have died. One adult dog died and two had to be euthanized.
"Unfortunately, a few (more) of them may have to be put down," Kelley said. "They’re just not adoptable. Hopefully we’ll be able to adopt some of them out."
Hunters discovered 96 emaciated put bulls chained in a rural yard south of Newkirk last week. Ten dogs were later found in a barn without food or water. Ten puppies were discovered in a house. Southern told investigators he rented the property and fed the dogs daily.
A Ponca?City veterinarian evaluated the dogs for body condition and health status. The bond condition scoring system rates the animals on a condition of one as very thin and five as obese. She found only one dog with an ideal score. Most of the others received a score of one or less. The majority of the dogs, Dr. Seletha Sanders said, were very thin to emaciated and very cold.
