Police in northwest Georgia arrested four people and confiscated 33 pit bulls and pit-bull mixes from what they said was the largest dog-fighting facility they had ever encountered, the Cedartown Standard reported.
“This is the largest one we’ve ever encountered,” said Capt. Randy Turner of the Polk County Police Department.
In addition to the police, the investigation, raid and arrests involved the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Polk County Animal Control, Atlanta Humane Society and the private investigation firm of Norred & Associates in Atlanta, which specializes in gathering information on dog-fighting.
The investigation began with a tip to Norred & Associates investigators about a dog-fighting operation in the woods of Aragon.
None of the dogs had access to food or water, but they appeared in pretty good health, Capt. Randy Turner of the Polk County Police said.
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The Purina ONE “Tour For Heroes” is partnering with Martha Stewart and One Hope animal shelters across the country to help pets in need by setting up temporary food banks. The tour will visit Atlanta Humane Society on Saturday (Feb. 20) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and give away one FREE bag of Purina ONE dog or cat food to anyone who stops by, as long as supplies last.
From Purina:
A lot of people are going through tough times right now, but one source of constant companionship to help them get through is often their dog or cat. Purina ONE wants to help pets in need, and by assisting their owners, we help their pets too! Whether you’ve lost your job, have large veterinary bills, or are struggling to pay your mortgage, no one will be turned away during the Tour For Heroes.
Petango will also help pet owners in need by offering a microchip clinic during the event. For $10, our vet will implant a microchip in your pet. The $10 fee also includes free registration of the chip with a national database to aid in locating your pet if it becomes lost.
For more information, please visit tourforheroes.marthastewart.com
Jennifer Leslie with 11Alive News reports on one of the 62 dogs that arrived in Atlanta from an abandoned animal shelter in Mississippi:
Flapjack gets a facelift
ATLANTA — “Flapjack” didn’t realize he was different when he was rescued from an abandoned animal shelter in Mississippi and brought to the Atlanta Humane Society in late January.
He didn’t know that it was hard to look at him, and he couldn’t tell anyone what happened to the skin under his jaw.
Humane society workers named him “Jack” but began calling him “Flapjack” because of the piece of skin hanging down from his jaw like a flap.
The flap didn’t seem to bother him, but Humane Society vets were worried about the possibility of infection.
So they drove him to the University of Georgia for special surgery last week. It was a first for the vets there. The surgery was a success.
Flapjack is one of 62 dogs that arrived in Atlanta from a shelter in Clarksdale, Mississippi, on January 26. They had been living in miserable conditions.
“Most of these dogs were living outside,” said Cathy Sleva, Vice President of Development for the Atlanta Humane Society. “They had very limited access to food and water. They obviously had no medical treatment. So they were fending for themselves more or less.”
The owner of the shelter had walked away. She left behind hundreds of animals in a shelter built for a few dozen.
“She had good intentions. She didn’t want to euthanize anymore animals than she had to. None of us do,” Sleva said. “But when you have 400 animals living in a space for 60, you can’t care those animals in the way they need to be cared for.”
All of the dogs were exposed to Scabies, and most of them tested positive for heartworm.
On Feb. 1, an Atlanta family donated $15,000 to the Atlanta Humane Society to help pay for the dog’s medical care.
The donors saw a story about the plight of the dogs on 11Alive News on a Sunday night and made the donation the next day. They’ve asked to remain anonymous.
Flapjack’s surgery alone will cost about $1500. The Atlanta Humane Society is still accepting donations to pay for the entire bill for the medical costs associated with the Mississippi shelter rescue.
You can sponsor one of the dogs by going to www.atlantahumane.org or clicking here.
After spending a couple of weeks in an animal foster home, Flapjack will be ready for adoption.