A Gadsden County man was arrested Tuesday in connection with pit bull terriers apparently being used for dogfighting, Gadsden County Sheriff Morris Young said Wednesday. William Randall faces 19 counts of using the animals for fighting and 19 counts of animal cruelty, Young said.
On Dec. 30, investigators found the dogs on property in the Sawdust community during an unrelated drug investigation at a nearby address.
When investigators arrived on the scene, spectators fled, Young said.
"It was a big gambling thing," he said.
During a search of the property, they found weighted sleds used to train the dogs, veterinary medicine, dog pens and guns.
Lt. Jim Corder of the Sheriff's Office recently described the dogs as "all torn up."
"Some had open wounds; others were scarred up," he said.
Laura Bevan, director of the Southeast office of the Humane Society of the United States, said last week that based on examinations of the dogs, all had "wounds indicative of dogfighting."
One female dog had "none of her lips - her muzzle was basically torn off," she said. Humane Society staff also visited the property and found dogfighting pits with blood on them.
Since last week, deputies have collected evidence and are hoping to get the names of spectators - some who owned the dogs used in the illegal fighting. More arrests are pending, Young said.
"None of the owners will take ownership of the animals," he said.
Randall remained at the Gadsden County Jail on $58,000 bond. The fate of the dogs was unknown Wednesday night.
Sawdust is a community southwest of Quincy. Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
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