Mitchell Co. Sheriff’s Office announces major bust in dogfighting ring

SALE CITY, Ga. – A Sale City man in rural Mitchell county has been charged and arrested. This comes following a late February investigation over an alleged dogfighting ring.

Investigators with the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office say throughout February there had been reports of dogs coming and going through rural properties in the county.

“So, we received a complaint about an abundance of dogs around the Sale City area. We went and checked on it, we observed a large amount of dogs. We went back with code enforcement, and we observed approximately 40 dogs at the get-go…” said Jacob Pollack, Investigator, Mitchell Co. Sheriff’s Office.

When investigators searched the rural property, they found even more dogs, among other things.

“We recovered 67 dogs. We found some dog dighting equipment in the shop, including treadmills, chains, an abundance of dog food. In the residence, we recovered firearms and controlled substance,” said Pollack.

The suspect in question is this 53-year old Sale City man.

And, investigators shared with us the charges that are coming from this late February bust.

“There are 67 counts of dog fighting, 67 counts of animal cruelty, five counts of possession of firearms by a convicted felon, and just recently added a commercial gambling charge,” said Pollack.

But, out of tragedy, investigators are optimistic for the future of the dogs seized.

“So, the dogs were picked up. The federal government seized the dogs and they took them to an undisclosed location off-site. The dogs are going to go through a rehabilitation school, and maybe we can save the dogs and get them adopted out to homes,” said Pollack.

While more charges are pending, law enforcement are hoping there’s a better future for the dogs rescued.

Investigator Pollack tells us that the charges for a single count of dog fighting in Georgia are a minimum of one year to a maximum of five years in prison, and a fine of up to five thousand dollars.

Brian Roche reporting.

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