CA: Police Uncover Huge Dog-Fighting Ring Operating Across Southern California

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Police have uncovered an extensive dog-fighting ring they say operated around the Southland and into Mexico.


KCAL9’s Jennifer Kastner spoke to Robin Russell, a pit-bull rescuer from Studio City, about the ring on Wednesday evening.


“It’s heartbreaking,” she said. “It makes me want to cry because it happens all over, more than we ever know about.”


She’s worked extensively with pit bulls, just like the nine saved from a San Diego home that was raided Wednesday.


Investigators said they first started probing the ring six months ago out of the Antelope Valley. That group led investigators to South Gate and ultimately San Diego.


The purebreds were being taken into Mexico to fight. Experts say owners of a dog that wins a fight can make up to $80,000.


During the raid Wednesday, officials confiscated treadmills for training, trophies, heavy chains and weapons.


Arrests in the ring are pending, and neighbors said they suspected nothing illegal was going on.


“I’d walk past here and they’re be a dog on the front lawn and the dude would just be fixing up his car,” says Paul Williams.


The nine dogs rescued Wednesday will be taken to Lancaster for evaluation.


Russell says the rescued dogs often have deep physical and emotional scars.


“They start them as babies putting chains, putting weights on them, putting them through vigorous, vigorous workouts in the heat,” Russell says.


Despite these conditions, she believes it is possible for these dogs to be rehabilitated.


The LA County Sheriff’s Department says it plans to serve more search warrants in Los Angeles connected to this ring in the near future.


March 30, 2016

Police Uncover Huge Dog-Fighting Ring Operating Across Southern California CBS Los Angeles

 

Officials Break Up Dog Fighting Ring in Linda Vista
By Samantha Tatro


Nine dogs -- one of which was pregnant -- have been rescued following in lengthy investigation into a San Diego dog fighting ring.

San Diego Police (SDPD) and the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department (LASD) officials said months of investigation and several search warrants lead them from Los Angeles County to San Diego County, said LASD Sgt. Robert Hill.


Authorities served a search warrant at a home on Westinghouse Drive in San Diego's Linda Vista neighborhood, where they found four people inside the home, Hill said. One was arrested on unrelated drug charges, and authorities expect more arrests going forward.

Inside, officials found nine dogs, some of which had scars from a history of fights. Down the stairs and through a brick opening, authorities also uncovered a type of dungeon where the dogs would be trained. In the room, a treadmill, chains, tropheys, weights and belts, items consistent with dog training.


"These dogs are very valuable to the people that own them," Hill said. "They sell them for several thousand dollars."

One of the dogs was pregnant, officials said, and some may have to be put down if they are extremely aggressive. The dogs will be taken to a vet in the Los Angeles area for rehabilitation.

The dogs were kept in the United States, but were brought to Mexico to fight in several different cities where they could win up to $80,000 in prize money, Hill said. Successful dogs like these could be sold from anywhere between $1,000 to $10,000, depending on their histories. At least one of the dogs was bread, likely because the dog showed consistent behavior for a fight dog, Hill said.

Hill said the larger dog fighting ring likely had more than 1,000 members.

Videos at source: Officials Break Up Dog Fighting Ring in Linda Vista | NBC 7 San Diego

 

I agree. Fat dogs with not a hair missing on them.