In 2004, North Charleston resident David Tant pleaded guilty to 41 dog fighting charges and an assault charge. Tant was one of the nation's most active dog fighters and breeder of fighting dogs. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison, which was reduced to 30 years after he paid more than $80,000 in restitution to the Charleston Animal Society (CAS) for the care of 47 dogs seized.
On July 21 of this year, the South Carolina Parole Board held its first hearing on Tant's request for parole after serving only six years of his sentence. South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster spoke against his release—a rare action for a sitting attorney general. Charles Karesh of CAS presented petitions with 5,000 names opposing Tant's release, supplementing over 1,000 objections registered on the Parole Board's website. Sandy Christiansen of the Spartanburg Humane Society also spoke of the impact that dogs bred by Tant continue to have on dog fighting worldwide. Dr. Randy Lockwood, ASPCA Senior Vice President, Forensic Sciences and Anti-Cruelty Projects, spoke about how Tant's imprisonment had sent a strong message to law enforcement agencies about the need to treat dog fighting as a major violent crime.
Despite all this input, the Board voted 2 to 1 to grant Tant parole. However, since there was one dissenting vote, the case must now be heard by the full seven-member Parole Board, with the final decision based on the majority. The new parole hearing date is set for September 8 in Columbia, SC, and representatives from the ASPCA will return to make even stronger arguments.
In 2004, North Charleston resident David Tant pleaded guilty to 41 dog fighting charges and an assault charge. Tant was one of the nation�2019;s most active dog fighters and breeder of fighting dogs. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison, which was reduced to 30 years after he paid more than $80,000 in restitution to the Charleston Animal Society (CAS) for the care of 47 dogs seized.