More Arrests Made in Seminole Illegal Dog Fighting Ring

Seminole County’s major illegal dog fighting ring that was busted in late April has resulted in two more arrests. On June 6, Terrance F. Davis (43) turned himself in and on June 10, Timothy O. Freeman (24) got picked up at Thomas County.

Arrests Are Ongoing and the Case Is Still Ongoing

Davis was wanted by authorities on charges of commercial gambling and dog fighting, whereas Freeman was wanted for commercial gambling, dog fighting and methamphetamine trafficking. Considering the fact that the case is still ongoing, more arrests are pending.

It all started on April 24, 2022, at around 8:15 pm, when the Sherriff’s Office received a tip that there was an illegal dog fighting ring in the vicinity of Jessie Mitchell Road, southwest Seminole County. The bust ended up being so big that on-scene officers needed assistance from off-duty officers and an on-call investigator.

The bust turned out to be the most brutal dog fighting ring in the history of the county and one of the most horrific in Southwest Georgia.

On the night of April 24, a total of 12 arrests were made and 27 pit bulls were recovered. Twenty-one of them were sent to the animal rescue group of the US Marshals, 5 were transported to the Port City Veterinary Clinic and one needed treatment, so it was transported to the Colquitt Animal hospital.

Apart from the animals, officers found 7 guns on the scene on the night of the major bust and 22 vehicles were towed away.

Dog Fighting Brings a Lot of Other Crimes

Seminole County sheriffs described the scenes during the bust. They stated that there were dogs chained around the property and some of the dogs were inside the cars that they towed off. Sheriff Heath Elliott commented on the situation by saying that it was the first time witnessing such a gruesome scene for him.

Ashley White, the Bainbridge Humane Society shelter director, stated that dog fighters don’t usually “fit the stereotypical criminal profile.” She also added that 57% of Americans don’t even believe that dog fighting is taking place in their community, but around 40,000 people in the country are related to this crime each year.

Elliott and White stated that the only way to prevent dog fighting from happening is to inform local authorities of it. White stated that dog fighting brings other crimes to the scene, including guns and drugs.

Animal cruelty is not something new to the scene. There are a lot of gruesome scenes connected to this sector. That is the reason why many countries are looking to protect animals by banning all types of activities connected to them.