RICHMOND, Va. -- The man who had who had 26 dogs seized from his Richmond home Wednesday afternoon by Animal Care and Control says that they were taken unfairly.
Samuel Taylor says he's been made out to be something he's not - and that Animal Control's accusations that he is leading a dog fight ring are "not true but we'll deal with that in court."
"[They] said the dogs were malnutritioned, they said the dogs was being fighting [sic], they said I was the leader of a fight ring, which I have never fought a dog," Taylor said.
Taylor explained that he is a breeder who loves his dogs - and that he's surprised by the incident considering his relationship with Richmond Animal Care and Control.
"Every time the dog people have come here, Animal Control, I've opened my arms with welcoming hands," Taylor said.
In fact he says they've been to his home multiple times in the five years he's lived there.
"They've taken pictures of my dogs, they've taken names of my dogs."
Taylor admits he had been paying fees for licenses and registrations - but that they recently lapsed "They came here last week and said somebody complained and they gave us a court date of October 10 to get our paperwork back together," Taylor said.
But Wednesday evening, Animal Care and Control was back, and this time he says they seized every dog on his property.
"None of it is true," he said. "I can contest [sic] to a lie detector test or whatever they want me to do."
The homeowner of Taylor's rented McKay Avenue home told CBS 6 Thursday that he was surprised by the allegations. Earlier this year, Animal Control officers came to his house with a complaint about the dogs on the property, "but they checked them out and they appeared healthy."
