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Pensacola News Journal
Pensacola, Florida (PNJ) - As Escambia County deputies ringed his property in crime-scene tape and launched an animal cruelty investigation, Roger Kervin maintained his innocence.
He said he kept the dogs on his 6-acre rural property in Barrineau Park in northern Escambia County for wild hog hunting.
Photo Gallery: Possible animal cruelty investigated
"I don't feel like I've done anything wrong," he said outside his house Wednesday evening. "I've been doing what I've done all my life."
The county seized more than a dozen dogs from Kervin on Tuesday and placed them in the Escambia County Animal Shelter because of their poor physical condition.
Animal control officers found more than 50 dogs at the Lawson Lane property when they responded to a call about a dog bite, said Cam Johnson, an Escambia County spokesman.
The dogs had not been treated properly, he said, including not having enough water or shelter.
The dogs in the worst condition - those with medical problems and those that needed proper nutrition to nurse their puppies - were taken to the shelter. The county is trying to get custody of the dogs in the shelter as well as those still at Kervin's place.
Officers returned to Kervin's property Wednesday evening to serve a search warrant.
"Additional animals have been taken to the shelter, and a search is in progress and will likely continue tomorrow," said Greg Marcille, an assistant state attorney. "Certain items have been seized."
Kervin, 66, had not been charged with any offense Wednesday night.
Animal control officers also found 20 hogs and 17 goats on the property on Lawson Lane, said Kelly Cooke, an Escambia County spokeswoman.
Kervin said he's been a hog hunter most of his life, and that's why he has so many dogs.
"I catch hogs," he said. "They say it's cruelty, but I don't know if it is or not."
Kervin said he hunts at least a couple of times a week, which requires a lot of dogs. He said he rotates them for trips, and that he lost 30 dogs last year to hogs during hunts.
Kervin said he's hog-hunted with dogs all his life and doesn't see any problem with it. He said that he takes good care of his animals.
"You just feed them and water them," he said.
The dogs taken from Kervin's property to the animal shelter Tuesday looked emaciated. Kervin said some of his dogs were thin because of strenuous hunting exercise.
"Them dogs work out quite a bit," he said. "They're not going to be fat."
Kervin said he's fed up with being accused of things he hasn't done, referring to his 1992 dog fighting conviction.
"One time they accused me of fighting, and now this," he said, denying that he had harbored dog fights. "They railroaded me. They said I was doing it, but they never proved it."
He said he's upset that his animals are being taken from him and added that he often donates his hogs to charity.
But after this investigation is over, Kervin said, he's leaving.
"I think I'm going to sell everything and move to Alabama," he said.
Neighbor Debbie Rogers welcomed Wednesday's investigation.
"I'm so glad it happened," she said. "This stunt has been going on for years."
Rogers said she hopes there's justice for all of the animals on Kervin's property.
"This is a long time coming," she said.
Lindsay Ruebens, Pensacola News Journal