Ronnie Williams Could Be Linked To More Greyhound Deaths
Save Email Print
Bookmark and Share
Updated: 9:21 PM Nov 2, 2010
Ronnie Williams Could Be Linked To More Greyhound Deaths
Panama City - More new developments Tuesday in the case of a man accused of killing more than 3 dozen Ebro greyhound racing dogs.
Posted: 9:15 PM Nov 2, 2010
Reporter: Sandra Osborne
Email Address: Sandra.osborne@wjhg.com

Latest Developments In The Ebro Greyhound Story
Font Size:

Panama City - More new developments Tuesday in the case of a man accused of killing more than 3 dozen Ebro greyhound racing dogs.

A greyhound adoption agency says the suspect, Ronald Williams, turned over a number of dogs for adoption aside from those that died.

A state regulatory agency that oversees dog racing is taking action.

Rodger Spencer with the Greyhound Pets of America says he's familiar with Ronald Williams.

The organization works with facilities like Ebro Greyhound Park to find homes for the dogs.

Spencer says Williams called the organization last week taking 8 of his dogs for adoption.

He says Williams claimed to have 10 total.

Spencer took 8 of the dogs, some nearly 15 pounds underweight.

"After he turned the 8 dogs over to us, he was stating to us and to others on the track that all he had left was two dogs. During that week witnesses would see him let out those two dogs and we assumed that's all he had."

Spencer and his colleagues notified a state inspector, which checked the kennel last Friday night.

That's when he discovered the 37 dead dogs.

Most of the dead looked like they'd starved to death.

Some of them had duct tape around their necks making it hard to breathe.

Five dogs were still alive.

Spencer claims Williams tried to mask the smell of the dead dogs from Ebro track officials and other dog owners.

"He actually placed an inoperative freezer outside his kennel and put rotten meat in it to, we assume., try and hide the smell of what was coming from inside the kennel, unfortunately," said Spencer.

It's safe to say his greyhound racing days in Florida may be over.

Tuesday the State Department of Business and Professional Regulation issued an emergency suspension of Williams' greyhound license.

"At this point, he's not able to work and we're moving to make sure that he cannot ever work again in Florida in the pari-mutuel wagering industry," said Jenn Meale.

Williams is being held in the Washington County Jail on 37 counts of animal cruelty.

His bond is 57,000 dollars and he could face more charges.

Sunday night, a Walton County Animal Control officer discovered the corpses of at least 8 dead greyhounds under the Highway 20 bridge on the Walton County side of the Choctawhatchee river.

They've now found a tattoo inside the ear of one of those dogs.

The information has been sent to the National Greyhound Association.

If they identify the dog as one of Williams', he could be facing even more charges.


Latest Comments

Posted by: Tony on Aug 27, 2011 at 03:29 PM

I have been in the Greyhound industry my entire life and can assure you that incidents like this are isolated and rare . If a greyhound is not happy it will not perform . I have been out of the business for 2 years now but I still love them . The job of taking care of these dogs consumes 65 hours of work a week easy and often for wages that wouldn't even stand up to the minimum wage standards . People like Ronnie Williams are reported to the state office as he in fact was many times . the real problem is that the state regs in Florida were deregulated back in 92 under former governor Jeb Bush . now it is near impossible to stop the few morons like Ron from continuing in training until something like this happens.Make no doubt I knew Ronnie and would love to see him serve decades in jail for this
Posted by: Shari Location: O'Brien on Jan 13, 2011 at 10:14 AM

I stumbled across these cruelty charges re Ronald Williams by accident. I too have adopted greyhounds (currently have 4 and have had 4 previous hounds)that have finished their racing careers, have been put up for adoption and have found their way to Ontario, Canada, many from Florida. I cannot say enough about this magnificent breed, such kind gentle souls, looking for a soft bed and someone to care and love them. Reading about Mr. Williams makes my blood boil. Any human who could do this to another living soul must have something horribly wrong with not just their mind but their heart as well. I sincerely hope he is duely punished for every death that occurred under his care. As horrible and sad these situations are, I wish this news would be brought to Canadian media. There have been and still are thousands of greyhounds being adopted throughout Canada and probably most Canadians like myself do not realize that these ugly crimes are still going on at greyhound tracks.
Posted by: Ronni Mandell Location: west haven, connecticut on Nov 17, 2010 at 03:32 PM

When I read this article about what this man did I was so upset. He should be hung by his ----. I have two adopted greyhounds who are the sweetest dogs you can have. They attach themselves to you like velcro. They are now couch potatoes and very spoiled. People do not realize what these dogs go through while they are racing. They spend 23 hours in their cages. When they are unable to fulfill their racing the owners get rid of them. Thank God for Pups Without Partners and other greyhound associations. They are always trying to find homes for these dogs. Pups Without Partners is always having benefits trying to save these dogs. One of my dogs, Tommy almost died. Penny saved his life. I recommend anyone wanting to adopt a dog to please adopt a greyhound. They are the most gentle dog you can imagine. Sincerely, Ronni Mandell
Vipir 7 Doppler Radar
Weather Cameras