Dozens of law enforcement officials descended on a property near Grey and Cobb roads in Pelzer on Wednesday morning, part of what the Greenville County Sheriff's Office described as a possible dogfighting ring investigation. An ASPCA Animal Cruelty Investigations Disaster Response vehicle was spotted on scene alongside deputies, though few other details had been released as the search unfolded.
Video provided to WYFF News 4 showed the scale of the response, with dozens of officials working a property on Cobb Road. The station reported that deputies and other law enforcement officials searched the Greenville County property Wednesday morning, and that the Sheriff's Office confirmed the search was tied to a possible dogfighting ring investigation. According to the same report, more information was expected to be released later in the day, though it had not yet surfaced as of publication.
Separately, WSPA reported that an investigation was underway regarding an alleged dogfighting operation in Pelzer, with the Sheriff's Office stationed at the scene of Grey and Cobb Road in relation to a dogfighting call. FOX Carolina, which was first to report live from the scene, noted that deputies had responded to two locations near Grey and Cobb roads regarding a dogfighting ring, and that the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division had also responded to the situation in Pelzer, per FOX Carolina crews on the ground. That outlet's report, published early Wednesday and updated about 20 minutes before it went live, said details remained limited at the time.
No Word Yet on Arrests or Animals Found
As of the available reporting, it remained unclear whether anyone had been arrested, charged or detained at the Pelzer property, and no information had been released about how many animals, if any, were found or seized at the scene. It was also not established whether investigators had obtained a search warrant or who owns or occupies the property. The exact relationship, if any, between this search and prior Greenville County animal-cruelty cases has not been confirmed.
A Pattern of Dogfighting Cases in Greenville County
This is not the first time Greenville County has grappled with alleged dogfighting operations. In an earlier case, the Sheriff's Office said an investigation that began on June 12, 2025, after Animal Control received a complaint about barking dogs and animal-welfare concerns, led authorities to seize 35 adult dogs and six puppies from a Simpsonville address and two Greenville addresses, according to ABC News 4. That investigation identified Jamie Greer and Jhamual Greer, a father and son, along with a friend, Khalil Kasson Ibn-Thorpe, as suspects.
In a separate Greenville County case detailed by WSPA, authorities executed a search warrant at Artillery Court in Piedmont during an investigation into a suspected ongoing dogfighting operation, rescuing four American pit bull terriers. Two of those dogs reportedly showed injuries consistent with dogfighting, and Zachary Vincent Miller was charged with two counts of dogfighting and three counts of ill treatment of animals, the station reported.
State and Federal Crackdowns Have Grown
The Pelzer search comes amid a broader statewide push against dogfighting. Since launching its Dogfighting Unit in 2023, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division says it has worked with other state agencies, along with local, federal and community partners, to rescue nearly 600 dogs and arrest just over 100 people. In February 2024, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina described a joint federal operation as targeting a massive dogfighting conspiracy, with SLED Chief Mark Keel stating that dogfighting is inhumane and illegal and will not be tolerated.
Under South Carolina law, violations of the state's animal-fighting provisions are treated as a misdemeanor, with convicted offenders subject to penalty provisions outlined elsewhere in state code for each animal killed, according to the South Carolina Legislature. The statute also allows the state attorney general to bring an action to enjoin a violation. No charges or legal action tied to the Pelzer search had been announced at the time of publication, and Hoodline will update this story as more information becomes available.
