Hearing in case for Savannah man charged with dog fighting, while on bond for murder charges

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Tuesday, an attorney looked to essentially null and void charges against a Savannah man accused of running a dog-fighting ring.

Isaiah Goodman appeared in court on Tuesday with his attorney.

Goodman’s lawyer essentially said that it’s hard to distinguish between the 27 different charges against him, because each dog is not identified specifically in each count.

Near the end of 2024, 28 dogs were seized from Isaiah Goodman’s home on Walton Street in Savannah.

This dog-fighting ring allegedly all took place underneath the nose of a Savannah neighborhood at the 4100 block of Walton Street.

The indictment details that several of the dogs seized have visible neurological damage, open wounds, and were visibly injured.

Before this recent dog-fighting arrest, records show 35-year-old Isaiah Goodman had 13 dogs seized in 2017 for similar accusations of mistreatment and abuse.

He pleaded not guilty to these charges in May.

He’s been indicted on 27 counts related to animal cruelty and dog fighting; his lawyer is trying to get that indictment thrown out because he says it’s not specific enough.

“What we’re asking for here. And that is that this indictment in its entirety, or at least in its majority of it, be quashed. If they’re going to re-indict it, then they re-indict it,” said Goodman’s attorney.

Prosecutor Jenny Parker argued that because dogs are not treated the same as human victims, no statute or law requires each dog to be identified specifically.

She also says there’s potential to re-indict prior to going to trial, but another case could affect that.

Goodman is also charged in connection with a murder in Garden City in 2020 that happened on Oak Street.

In that case, Goodman was arrested on one count of murder on July 4th, 2020, by Garden City Police for the murder of Michael Peguese. Peguese was murdered on June 25th, 2020.

“We have a murder case, which is what the state would prefer to try first, and should there be a conviction in that case, there may be no necessity for the dog fighting case,” said prosecutor Jennifer Parker.

There’s also some discovery, the affidavit for the arrest warrant when Goodman’s backyard was searched, that Goodman’s attorney says he’s still waiting to receive.

The judge said he will take both sides into consideration and make a decision in the coming days.

“The whole point here is to figure out whether the indictment is sufficient to place the accused on notice of what he has to defend,” said Chatham County Superior Court Judge Benjamin Karpf.

As for the dogs taken, Canine Behaviorist Jen Deane took in the majority and has been nursing them back to health, helping them get ready for forever homes.

We’ve spoken with Renegade Paws, specifically about this case, also. They helped rescue 4 young pups from Goodman’s home.

Deane says 10 out of the 14 in her care have been placed into fosters or rescues.

“Justice is more than a slap on the wrist, which is what these guys have been getting across the board. These folks who fight animals need to be held accountable, and they need to have punishment that fits the crime. You know, studies have shown that people who do these types of things with animals are also going to be violent to humans. I mean, look at his rap sheet. It is not a short,” said Deane. “It is not a short. I have looked at it myself. This is a man who has shown violence toward people and his dogs. I mean, you can see the scarring on the dogs and what they’ve been put through mentally, that they can’t even tell you.

She says if Goodman is found guilty, he should be required to pay her restitution and everyone else involved in the case back for the cost of treating the dogs.

Some of these animals still require rehabilitation and surgery, costing her around $10,000 so far, with food and medical costs.

We asked how much a surgery for one of these dogs has cost her.

“The surgery for just one of the dogs was around $4,000 just for that one surgery,” said Deane.

This is all ahead of another surgery for a different dog on the 19th, Tiny Dancer.

Deane still has four animals from Goodman’s home in her care, that aren’t quite ready to be re-homed yet.

“Major (one of the dogs), he is still with me. He was the most scared of the bunch, so I’m still working with him, but he’s doing really well. We have another one, Tiny Dancer is going in for surgery next week. She has two bad knees, so I’m taking her to Florida for surgery with an orthopedic surgeon to fix both of her knees. Then I have two more that are with me still. Out of the 14 I took, I have four still with me in my care,” said Deane.

We’ll keep you updated on the judge’s decision on the indictment.

But if you are looking to help these dogs, you can donate directly to Angels for the Underdogs, a nonprofit out of South Carolina.

You can also apply to be a foster for one of these 4 loving dogs.

Click here for that information or here. Their email is angelsfortheunderdogs@gmail.com.

“These dogs are supported by an organization called Angels for the Underdogs. They’re a 501C3 non-profit based in South Carolina. Donations are welcome. If anyone is interested in fostering one of these dogs, we would love to talk to them,” reiterated Deane.

There’s another pre-trial hearing in both of his cases on October 31st, and the jury trial in both his dog-fighting case and murder case, is expected to start on November 17th.