More than 60 dogs have been listed as defendants in a new forfeiture case brought through a Georgia prosecutor.
Peter D. Leary, the U. S. attorney for the Central District of Georgia, appointed to his position by President Joe Biden, filed a lawsuit Tuesday about the 67 “pit bull dogs” allegedly involved in dog fighting in Mitchell County, Georgia.
The Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office won an animal cruelty complaint in Sale City on Feb. 21 and conducted a fitness check the next day. During the check, they discovered “a giant number of pit bull-type dogs, chained, in the woods. “”A court temporarily issued a warrant to investigators to capture the dogs, and officials did so the next day.
Today, Leary’s office filed a civil lawsuit seeking the seizure of each dog, as well as any offspring the dogs may have before or after the final order, according to a copy of the complaint reviewed through Newsweek. The complaint cites Animal Protection. It acts as the basis for the confiscation of dogs. It only lists the dogs as the defendant’s property and not as any suspicious individual in the case.
Newsweek reached out to Leary’s office and the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office for emailed comment.
In addition to locating the dogs, the researchers’ studies also revealed several pieces related to dog fighting, adding treadmills and swim tanks used to exercise dogs for combat, a giant amount of medical and veterinary equipment, and brake levers, which are used to “manually open the dogs’ jaws. ” according to the complaint.
The dogs were also discovered “separated from each other, usually through heavy chains tied to the ground. After the dogs were secured in February, a veterinarian also discovered wounds and scars “consistent with dog fighting” on the dogs, according to the complaint.
Investigations into the dogs resulted in an arrest, the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post on Feb. 24. However, the arrested user is known and it is unclear what charges, if any, have been brought against him. The identity of this individual has been proven through the authorities.
“67 Pitbull dogs were recently rescued through the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office with the Mitchell County Code Enforcement, USDA-OIG and GBI. The dogs were part of a dog fighting and animal cruelty case that resulted in an arrest. So far and one case is ongoing,” the post reads.
Rehabilitation efforts will “be attempted” for all dogs and puppies, according to the message.
Dog fighting, classified as a crime that has raised concerns among animal advocates due to the violent nature of the practice and the poor living conditions in which dogs live, affects thousands of dogs a year in the United States. They are routinely rescued from dog fights.
It is estimated that more than 16,000 dogs die annually due to dog fighting in the United States, according to the National Society for Humane Education. Meanwhile, the Humane Society of America estimates that more than 4,000 Americans participate in organized dog fights.
Andrew Stanton is Newsweek’s weekend reporter in Maine. Its role is to report on American politics and social issues. Andrew joined Newsweek in 2021 from the Boston Globe. He is a graduate of Emerson College. You can reach Andrew by emailing a. stanton@ newsweek. com. Languages: English.