Dog Breeder Facing Cruelty Charges

Snellville police are seeking felony animal cruelty charges against a man who they said was breeding Dobermans in his backyard.

Investigators said they found two dead dogs, and nine others starving and caged in their own filth.

The dogs are being checked out by a vet before being brought to the Gwinnett County Animal Shelter. This happened after a long string of complaints by neighbors.

Police pictures document everything -- two dead dogs on the property, nine dogs caged and starving in an outside storage shed. Investigators said the smell was overpowering, and so did neighbors.

"I've been trying to get someone out here since November of '05," said Amy Koon.

Koon said it's been no secret that Elliot Reese has been breeding Doberman Pinschers, and that he's been doing so for the past two years. At first it seemed things were well-run, but lately, neighbors said, it seems that things have been going downhill.

"The dog that we saw Sunday was in such distress that it could not sit down," Koon said. "It just sort of wandered around and yelped. And I threw some dog treats through the fence that I had at my mom's house to get it to eat."

Animal control and police investigated, and with what they found, they will charge Reese with felony animal cruelty.

"It looks like he got too busy with his other job that he's with, and didn't have time to take care of the dogs anymore -- that's what it seems like," said Sgt. Ray Gunter of the Snellville Police Department.

Police are still looking for Reese. When the dogs have been taken to the animal shelter, they will remain there until all of the court proceedings are over.