Hamptons Police Blotter: Small Dog Gambling Ring Busted
Last Sunday night, June 14, Hamptons police authorities moved in to bust up a local gambling ring, arresting 23 suspects in an unprecedented sweep through local villages and hamlets.
Those arrested, who were held overnight awaiting charges, are all females ranging in age from 72 to 98. Police allege that the suspects organized and ran a ring that gambled on dog competitions—although police emphasized that no blood sport seems to be involved in the case. The dogs involved comprised of a wide variety of small breeds—teacup maltese, teacup pomeranian, teacup yorkie, miniature schnauzer, miniature dachshund and the like—who were deployed by their owners in a variety of competitions, with wagers being placed on which small dog would win.
For example, one competition involved determining which of two diminutive dogs would first start barking madly at practically inaudible sounds. Another contest was designed to see which of two small dogs would continue barking longest when a stranger appeared in their presence. Bets were also placed on which dog could bark the loudest and at the highest pitch. Police say that all of the bets were executed online, with members of the ring receiving a cut, amounting to nearly $17,000 over the ring’s 15 years of operation.