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Wednesday, March 19, 2014

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is seeking information on a dog that is "missing and presumed stolen" from an Uncas Road farm on or about Feb. 21-22, according to a press release issued March 14.

Douglas B. Spink, 42, is the primary suspect in the presumed theft, according to deputy Alex Mintz, JCSO's animal control officer. The suspect was taken into federal custody March 4 on multiple charges unconnected to the missing dog. (These charges were detailed in a story in the Leader's March 12 issue). Spink also faces animal-related charges in Whatcom County.

Deputy Mintz reported that Spink is "known to be active in the 'zoophilia,' also known as 'bestiality' community," and was living on an adjacent farm at the time the dog went missing; a hole had been cut in a wire fence. Spink is known to have befriended the dog by feeding it without authorization, Mintz noted. Uncas Road is just west of U.S. Highway 101 about 12 miles from Port Townsend.

The dog is a male named Ghengis, described as a 5-year-old Kangal-Boerboel mix, weighing about 120 pounds and standing about 2 and a half feet tall. Not only is he a guard dog for livestock, it is the dog that owner Andrew Johnston said he used to train younger dogs.

Johnston, who breeds speciality guard dogs under the business name Olympic Dogs, said he has received support from the dog-breeding community and knows that people are on the lookout for his animal.

Johnston told the Leader that in 2007 Spink had contacted him saying he had a papered male Boerboel (native to South Africa), while Johnston had a papered female Boerboel. After Spink's dog checked out medically, Johnston said a contract was drawn up in which Spink said he would sell pups in advance and, at the end of the deal, would receive the papered female.

Spink brought his dog to Jefferson County for the breeding and took it home the same day, according to Johnston. About four months later, Johnston said, Spink had failed to produce any pup sales so Johnston said the business deal ended. At that time, Johnston said he looked into Spink's background.

"I didn't know anything about this guy and within half an hour of digging [on the Internet], I knew more than I needed to know and I knew this guy would never get a dog from me," Johnston said March 14.

Meanwhile, Mintz said that suspect Spink has connections in Southwest Washington and Oregon, "as well as strong connections to Canada, and the dog may have already been or will be smuggled into Canada."

Anyone with information on the missing dog is asked to call the JCSO at 385-3831.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014 3:59 pm | Updated: 10:20 am, Sun Mar 16, 2014.

What began as a routine dispute over a missing dog between Jefferson County neighbors is now linked to a federal case and a man accused of zoophilia.

The story has local twists and intersects with one of the most secretive criminal behaviors in the world – people who contend that having sex with animals is love.

The man that six U.S Marshals, three federal probation officers and four Jefferson County deputies took into custody on March 4 is Douglas B. Spink, 42. Spink is a convicted felon on a drug smuggling charge, according to published reports, and this is his second arrest for violation of probation – in this case, living at an unregistered address, and possession of an animal.

Spink offered no resistance when officers arrived at about noon on March 4 at a small rental home on Chicken Coop Road, near the Clallam County line, said Alex Mintz, Jefferson County Sheriff's deputy and animal control officer.

"It went smooth," Mintz said. "[Spink] came to the door wearing a dog collar with dog tags on it. The dog it belonged on, we took into custody."

HOW IT BEGAN

The incident that led to Spink's arrest was a dispute between neighbors over a missing dog named Ghengis.

JCSO deputy Jason Avery responded at 1:40 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 23 to Compass Rose Farm on W. Uncas Road after one of the farm owners claimed harassment and possible threats in progress. The deputy found two men yelling at each other across a fence, regarding a large-breed dog that had been missing since the previous morning.

The neighbor, Andrew Johnston, lives nearby on W. Uncas Road, where he raises goats and breeds specialty dogs. Some of his livestock use a 22-acre pasture between his land and Compass Rose Farm; the farm's driveway is along the field. In that field that weekend had been Ghengis, a male Boerboel mixed with a Kangal that Johnston said he uses to train other dogs to herd.

Johnston said he noticed his dog was missing Saturday morning, Feb. 22, and upon walking the field, found a hole cut in the fence along the driveway. He started leaving telephone messages and sending text messages to Compass Rose Farm owner Kateen Fitzgerald. After repeated calls, Fitzgerald called 911 to report Johnston.

Deputy Avery met with four people at Compass Rose and Fitzgerald said she had already told Johnston she did not know what happened to his dog, according to the deputy's report.

Avery listened to several of the messages, which he deemed as aggressive but not threatening, according to his report. Avery then went across the driveway to talk with Johnston, still on his side of the fence. The deputy was shown a section of fence that had been intentionally cut, and was also shown remnants of human table scraps along the fence line. Johnston said no one has permission to feed his dog, and it would not willingly leave with a stranger.

Johnston said he told the deputy he did not believe Fitzgerald would cut the fence or let the dog loose, but people come and go a lot from Compass Rose Farm and maybe a guest took the dog without the farm owners' knowledge.

According to the deputy's report, Fitzgerald admitted that she knew people were feeding the dog over the fence, but did not feel they were breaking the law because the dog looked underfed.

The farm owners provided a number for another man who had been renting a trailer at Compass Rose, Douglas Spink, and deputy Avery reached him on the phone, according to his report.

"He assured me he did not take the dog," Avery wrote in his report, because Spink said he had a large dog himself, and it would be unwise to bring home another large dog.

The deputy left the scene and told Johnston to stop the calls and texts as his neighbors wanted no further contact with him and further contact would be considered harassment.

RINGS A BELL

Deputy Alex Mintz, JCSO's animal control officer, saw Avery's report on Monday, Feb. 24, and recognized the name of Spink. He recalled an email received in June 2013 from the Clallam County Sheriff Department that Spink was living on Chicken Coop Road. Although the abode has a Sequim mailing address, it is just inside Jefferson County.

When Mintz saw that email last year, he had researched Spink and found his criminal record with drugs and animals.

Mintz began working the case, contacting federal officers, which led to a search warrant on the basis that Spink had violated probation by living somewhere other than Chicken Coop Road. Uncas Road is about 11 miles south of Chicken Coop Road.

Three U.S. Probation Department officers and a six-member U.S. Marshall Fugitive Task Force met at the JCSO in Port Hadlock, and after a briefing, four JCSO deputies assisted in serving the warrant at 2714 Chicken Coop Road. After taking Spink into custody, federal agents removed computers from the residence.

Deputy Mintz took possession of a large Caucasian mountain dog which Spink asked be taken to Compass Rose Farm. Mintz initially took the dog to the farm, but then made other arrangements, and the dog is now at an "undisclosed location," he said. After he had picked up the dog from the farm, Mintz said he received a call from Claire Spink, Douglas Spink's mother, who asked for the animal be returned to the farm so a new home could be found. Mintz declined.

Mintz said he also learned Spink had possession of a Percheron stallion being boarded near Port Townsend. Mintz said the equestrian business is owed money by Spink, and is keeping the horse until deciding how to resolve that situation.

The U.S. District Court conditions of Spink's probation specify he is not to have any unapproved contact, direct or indirect, with animals.

NOT SUSPECTS

Mintz said he has no indication that Compass Rose owners are connected to Spink's personal life or beliefs.

No animal cruelty incidents are known to have taken place at Compass Rose Farm, Mintz said, and the farm's residents are not under investigation.

"The farm owners have been cooperative," Mintz said.

This farm connection touches on a piece of Jefferson County criminal history. Compass Rose organic farm was started in 2007 and from 2007-2009 was home to a man who since 2010 has been in federal prison on charges of armed bank robbery: Michael J. Fenter. Incarcerated in California with a scheduled release date of 2018, Fenter is divorced from his wife, Kateen Fitzgerald.

JCSO officials are not certain how Spink became connected to Compass Rose Farm. Deputy Mintz said that Spink’s mother, Claire Spink, had contacted the farm.

"When I talked to Mr. Fenter's now ex wife, Kateen, she told me that she was contacted by Spink's mother who she has known for three to four years and Spink's mother asked if she could help her son Doug because he was getting released and had no place to go," Mintz told the Leader.

"They told me that he was very forthcoming with them about being convicted" on drug smuggling charges, Mintz said of the Compass Rose owners. "They told me they didn't know anything about his bestiality issues. They seemed shocked to learn about that."

Compass Rose Farm owners contacted by the Leader issued a statement March 11. They expressed sympathy for the loss of Johnston's dog, and noted their willingness to cooperate with law enforcement. In regards to Spink, the farm owners wrote:

"We met Mr. Spink in November, 2012 when he approached us about a rental. We did rent to Mr. Spink. We were aware Mr. Spink was on parole but were not aware of the extent of his legal history. Mr. Spink did not pay his rent and was asked to move, which he did."

Spink apparently left the farm sometime after midnight Feb. 21, deputy Mintz said, because the residents reportedly heard his truck.

"He told them when he moved it was going to be at night and they asked him not to, and he said he has to leave at night," Mintz said, based on an interview with Compass Rose Farm residents. "They did question that and heard him drive away, maybe 1 a.m. Saturday morning. The next day there is a hole in the fence and the [Johnston] dog is gone."

There is no evidence on who cut the fence or why, Mintz noted.

DOG DEAL

Andrew Johnston has been on his property about 10 years. He said he was friends with Michael and Kateen Fenter, and was shocked when the man who worked in the Port Townsend marine trades industry was arrested and later convicted of robbing banks. Johnston said he wrote a character reference to Fenter during the court process.

The neighborly relationship soured over the years. Johnston acknowledged there was an "isolated incident" where one of his dogs chased wild ducks on the farm.

And in 2007, Johnston had a dog breeding business connection with Spink.

Johnston said Spink contacted him saying he had a papered male Boerboel (native to South Africa), while Johnston had a papered female Boerboel. Johnston said a contract was drawn up in which Spink said he would sell pups in advance and, at the end of the deal, would receive the papered female.

Spink brought his dog to Jefferson County for the breeding and took it home the same day, according to Johnston. About four months later, Johnston said, Spink had failed to produce any pup sales so Johnston said the business deal ended. At that time, Johnston said he made himself aware of Spink's background.

"I didn't know anything about this guy and within half an hour of digging [on the Internet], I knew more than I needed to know and I knew this guy would never get a dog from me," Johnston clarified in a statement March 14.

Nearly seven years later, Spink ended up living next door to Johnston, who learned that fact Feb. 26 from a deputy.

Johnston did not take the news well, Mintz said, and now "that has created a kind of Hatfields and McCoys between him and his neighbors at Compass Rose Farm."

Johnston admits he became “pretty heated” in asking about his missing dog, and when he learned Spink had been staying at his neighbors and allegedly had been feeding his dogs over the fence, he did send more texts to Fitzgerald.

On Sunday, March 9, Johnston was served by a JCSO deputy and called into district court on Monday on a harassment order to keep 500 feet away from the farm, “which effectively keeps me out of that pasture.”

Johnston asked for time to prepare his defense. He said the case was postponed until next Monday, March 17 when the judge learned Johnston had less than 24 hours to prepare for a court appearance.

The Compass Rose Farm owners and Johnston do not want their respective business reputations tarnished by the connection with Spink.

Johnston hopes for the return of his missing dog, as do his neighbors.

Based on what he knows and has learned, Johnston hopes the dog has not been led into the world of zoophilia.

“This is really creepy,” Johnston said of a missing dog leading to the arrest of a man linked to zoophilia. “If you think it’s going to get better, it’s not.”

Ooooh goodness. The media will have a field day with this.