A man from Paulding County, Georgia, was found guilty of dog fighting and cruelty to animals and was sentenced to 475 years behind bars.
Vincent Lemark Burrell was found guilty of 93 counts of dog fighting and an additional 10 counts of cruelty to animals on Jan. 30, WSB reported.
It was the culmination of an investigation that started in November 2022 when deputies received a complaint from an Amazon delivery driver who said he had concerns about dogs at Burrell’s home.
Eventually, officials said they found 107 dogs, mostly tied to heavy logging chains in Burrell’s backyard. Most were underweight and did not have access to food or water. The dogs, according to a veterinarian who examined them, had rashes on their necks from the collars, had scars consistent with dog fighting and several of the animals had their teeth forcibly removed.
Officers also said they found items associated with dog fighting including a break stick, which is used to pry open a dog’s mouth during a fight; a dog treadmill; a breeding stand; documents that allegedly linked Burrell to other dog fighters, a crash kit used to treat dogs during a fight; medications that should only have been used by a licensed veterinarian and contracts for sales of specific dogs, WSB reported.
The dogs were taken into custody by the Paulding County Animal Shelter and eventually given to a rescue organization.
Lead prosecutor K.C. Pagnotta said after the sentencing, “Let this be a clear message that Paulding County will not accept or condone the inhumane treatment of animals – especially the violence and abuse associated with dog fighting.”
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