SLIDELL – The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office rescued 15 dogs from a Slidell-area couple during a drug bust that also turned up nearly one pound of cocaine and books on dog fighting.
Seven children who were also at the house at the time of the raid were remanded to the custody of relatives.
Officers with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Task Force executed a search warrant on the home of 40-year-old Michael Ratcliff and his girlfriend, 29-year-old Antinette Johnson on June 20.
The officers found 419.7 grams of cocaine, approximately 28 grams of marijuana, seven bottles of promethazine, assorted drug paraphernalia, a money-counting machine, $2,066 in cash, and four vehicles.
Two dog fighting instructional books – The World of Fighting Dogs and Thirty Years with Fighting Dogs – were also found at the home.
Seven of the 15 dogs seized had facial scars indicative of dog fighting, according to the STPSO.
The seven children were all between the ages of 4 and 12-years-old.
The couple each face multiple drug possession and distribution charges, as well as dog fighting, cruelty to animals, and using controlled substances in the presence of a minor.