In a significant crackdown on illegal dogfighting, Newton County deputies have apprehended 45 individuals linked to a despicable dogfighting ring in Call, Texas, as reported by CBS Austin. Following an investigation that began in March this year, the sheriff's office executed a search warrant on November 22 on a property that was allegedly hosting these cruel events, complete with spotters placed around to alert of any incoming law enforcement – a detail shared by Newton County Sheriff Colton Havard.
Upon the deputies' arrival, they stumbled upon a grim scene: two dogs locked in combat within a ring explicitly fashioned for dog fighting, to which many of the attendees scattered into the woods in a futile attempt to evade capture but were eventually detained by the authorities, as Fox4Beaumont noted. Sheriff Havard lamented the heinous nature of the crime, "Just to put two dogs in a homemade pit and just let them fight to the death, it's terrible," he stated, evoking a sense of the grim reality faced by the animals involved.
The operation, dubbed "Operation Pit Bull," has not only led to the arrest of the 45 suspects but also the rescue of 16 dogs, including the two found fighting. These two dogs, now named Valor and Justice, are receiving care and rehabilitation at Santo's Sanctuary & Rescue and will later move to the Taurus Training Academy for further recovery. Authorities also seized illegal narcotics, firearms, cash amounting to almost $74,000, and various vehicles from the scene, items that hint at the broader criminal enterprise associated with such dogfighting rings, as per CBS Austin.
While most of the arrested have posted bond, the charges they face for dogfighting, which is a Class A misdemeanor in Texas, could lead to up to one year in jail and/or a $4,000 fine if convicted. The investigation remains ongoing with the organizers of the ring still at large, Sheriff Havard and his team, according to Fox4Beaumont.
