WASHINGTON, June 1 (UPI) — Nine people have been charged in a multi-state dog fighting ring and more than 60 dogs were rescued from a “vicious blood sport,” officials said Wednesday.
Six people from New Jersey as well as residents of Indiana, Illinois and New Mexico have been charged with felony violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act for their alleged involvement in a dog-fighting ring, Assistant Attorney General John Cruden for the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman for the District of New Jersey announced.
Prosecutors allege the group — ranging in age from 30 to 62 years old — bought, sold, trained, transported and delivered pit bull-type dogs for fighting in various states from October 2015 until their arrests.
Eight of the individuals were arrested as part of the investigation, a ninth man was already in custody on unrelated charges. Officials rescued 66 dogs in total.
The group allegedly planned and participated in dog-fighting events where dogs were set up to maul and attack each other until one or both dogs were dead.
Federal agents said evidence from the defendants’ properties includes scarred dogs and dogs stacked in crates; dog treadmills, “flirt” poles used to build jaw strength and increase aggression, and animal pelts. Also found were surgical instruments, syringes and other tools used to mend dogs in lieu of seeking veterinary attention.
“There is no place in New Jersey — or anywhere else, for that matter — for a vicious blood sport like dog fighting,” Fishman said. “Not only is it unspeakably cruel to the animals that are raised to participate in dog fighting, but animals trained in this way can be extremely dangerous to the public.”
This case is part of Operation Grand Champion, a coordinated effort with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Homeland Security, the FBI, the Department of Justice and other federal and state offices, as well as the Humane Society of the United States, to combat organized dog fighting.
If convicted, the defendants each face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of animal fighting charges. The investigation is ongoing.
“Dog fighting is truly an organized criminal activity, as well as a deplorable trade in the suffering of animals,” Cruden said.
