Barrineau Park Man Convicted Of Animal Cruelty

May 17, 2013

A Barrineau Park man was convicted on animal cruelty charges Thursday and now faces up to 12 years in prison.

Roger Legrande Kervin, 67, was originally charged with 88 animal abuse related charges. He was convicted Thursday of two felony counts of animal cruelty and one misdemeanor count. Prior to his jury trial, he pleaded no contest to one count of confinement of animals without sufficient food, water or exercise, a misdemeanor.

He remains free on bond as he awaits his sentencing on June 17.

Kervin was arrested in February 2012, three days after the first of 90 animals were seized from his property on Lawson Lane near Barrineau Park. Many of the animals were euthanized.

Before his arrest, Kervin spoke out in his own defense, saying that he had done nothing wrong. Kervin said he kept his dogs in good shape for wild hog hunting, often using the wild pork to feed people at charity events. During his trial Thursday, Kervin continued to maintain that he kept dogs on his property for hunting wild hogs.

This was not the first time Kervin had faced animal abuse charges. According to court records, he was sentenced to probation in 1992 for using animals to bait or fight other animals.

Editor’s note: The following information, from the State Attorney’s Office arrest warrant affidavit,  is graphic and may be disturbing to some readers. It details the original allegations against Kervin at the time of his arrest. Dozens of the charges against Kervin were dropped or dismissed prior to his trial.

Escambia County Animal Control seized 20 dogs on Tuesday, February 14, 2012. According to an affidavit, several of the dogs were emaciated while some displayed open sores and infections. Some of the dogs were aggressive and had puncture wounds and scarring. One of the dogs was in a seizure and was in need of immediate medical attention. Another suffered a ruptured anus.

The pen where the dogs were kept were filled with feces and mud that was several inches deep with limited to no shelter. The dogs had no potable water and no food. Several where tethered with “large” or “heavy” chains. Ten of the 20 dogs –both hounds, bulldogs and mixed breeds — that were seized Tuesday were euthanized.

The affidavit details the condition of each euthanized dog. In addition to being emaciated, one or more of the dogs suffered from conjunctivitis in both eyes, sores, infections, infected toenails and fly sores.

“Several of the dogs had puncture wounds and scarring consistent with fighting,” the arrest warrant states.

In addition to the seized dogs, Escambia County Animal Control found two dead goats, one dead hog and nine skeletal remains. Another 23 dogs on the premises were living in feces-covered pens with non-potable water, no food and limited to no shelter. There were 16 hogs kept in a pen withour escape from their slop which contained feces, urine, food and mud. The hogs also had no drinking water and no food. There was, according to the report, a dead hog in the same pen as the live hog. There were 16 goats, five of which were at large on Lawson Lane. Some were malnourished and their pen had no grazing material.

When the State Attorney’s Office, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and Escambia County Animal control returned on Wednesday, February 15, 2012, with a search warrant, 23 dogs, 16 goats, 16 hogs and two piglets were seized. Authorities also seized treadmills and unspecified medications. The animals were in poor living conditions, but authorities noted that conditions had improved from the previous day. Fresh sand and dirt and been placed in all of the pens and shelters to cover the feces and mud. At least one standing pen had been washed out with a hose to remove feces from the bottom.

Pictured above and below: Roger Kervin’s property on Lawson Lane at the time numerous animals were seized. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

11 Responses to “Barrineau Park Man Convicted Of Animal Cruelty”

  1. Jaymie Chittum on May 18th, 2013 11:16 pm

    He SHOULD go to jail for the full 12 years! I won’t refer to him as a man. A real man wouldn’t treat helpless animals this way. Read the report of the veterinarian’s examination. Read the police reports detailing just some of what they found. This dirt bag was given probation in 1992 for the same acts of animal cruelty. How many animals were tortured during the past 20 years?

  2. Rhonda on May 18th, 2013 10:02 am

    First @ John…. WOW if Mr. Roger (as you call him) treated his animals good, then where did the puncture wounds come from? Why did they sleep in their own feces? If you feel he has taken good care of his animals maybe you should be chained up with him in a cage full of your own feces, with no proper shelter and food. I totally think anyone one who does this to animals should have the same treatment as their punishment. Not even sending them to prison is good enough, because there they get shelter and food and they don’t sleep in a pile of their own FECES……

  3. Samantha Johnson on May 17th, 2013 11:27 pm

    Melissa,
    I agree! Yes, abusing animals is wrong and people should be punished. However, punishment for mistreating animals should not be more than the punishment for harming a human being. It just doesn’t seem right!

  4. erica on May 17th, 2013 8:51 pm

    @ melissa,
    the reason for the sentence is common sense! animals are defenseless and have no choice and no way to escape these disgusting horribly abusive conditions. i wish this pathetic trash could be kept in one of those pens with a chain around his neck with no food or water and see how he likes it! so yes he deserves everything he gets!!!!!!!!!!!! wheres your compassion for these poor animals?

  5. John on May 17th, 2013 5:59 pm

    Any one who knew mr. Roger knew that he treated all his animals good

  6. bill on May 17th, 2013 1:59 pm

    Many years ago my son found a Foxhound starving in the woods when he was camping. The dog wouldn’t come near him until he feed her grits for three days and then she finally let him pet her. When he brought her home she would run any time someone raised a hand to pet her. She thought she was going to get beaten again. It’s a real shame the way some hunters treat their dogs. I know from experience these deer dogs can be hard to train but miss treating them is not going to help.

  7. Melissa on May 17th, 2013 1:35 pm

    Really people. What this man did was wrong, but he could go to jail for up to 12 years. The guy who hit a almost killed a police officer with a criminal record a mile long is only going to jail for a year. Am I the only one who sees a problem with this.

  8. Justice on May 17th, 2013 8:01 am

    Finally, something has been done to right the wrongdoing here. Praises to the authorities for pressing thru the legalities and seeking justice for these poor innocent animals. Hopefully, these sorts of people will get the message that it is against the law to treat animals this way and it is just WRONG 1.

  9. Abe on May 17th, 2013 7:09 am

    If a man will treat an animal like this, how would he treat another human? This is what happens when a person lacks empathy.

  10. Lin on May 17th, 2013 6:28 am

    What is sad is how long these poor animals had to endure this treatment, probably for years. The dogs can not control or better their situation or even get out of it. Only he could do something about it and chose not to, he had to be forced to clean it up just a little.

  11. Jane on May 17th, 2013 4:00 am

    Anyone who treats animals like this should be in prison for the full term available under the law!

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News