A man from Georgia (United States) was sentenced last week to 475 years in prison for organizing dog fights and animal abuse, with 107 dogs confiscated from his property in November 2022.
It is the longest known sentence related to dog fighting anywhere, stated state prosecutor of crimes against animals, Jessica K. Rock, as reported by the Telegraph.
Rock mentioned that the accused Vincent Lemark Burrell, 57, denied in court being involved in dog fights.
It is unclear if Burrell will appeal. The case began in 2022, when an Amazon delivery worker informed authorities that several dogs were tied with heavy chains on the accused’s property in Dallas, Georgia, about 30 miles west of Atlanta.
On November 8, 2022, Rock County sheriff’s deputies and local deputies were ready to search the property with a judge’s permission.
Dog Conditions and Arrest in Georgia
Authorities reported in a statement that the dogs were pit bulls, although dogs described as such are often mixed breeds. In a statement on Thursday, the district attorney’s office did not mention any specific breed.
Prosecutors eventually claimed that 107 dogs showed signs of abuse, including some characterized by being underweight (apparently due to lack of food, water, and shelter) and many dogs with neck cuts caused by heavy chains, “a tactic used to create a very aggressive dog,” said the Paulding County District Attorney’s Office.
Burrell was arrested on the day of the raid on charges of organizing dog fights and animal cruelty, according to the sheriff’s office in a statement following the raid.
Another group of dogs among the 107 on the property were found in a basement living in terrible conditions, added the sheriff’s office.
What to do in case of knowing a case of animal abuse in Argentina?
You have to make a criminal report. The procedure is free, and officials are obliged to take it. Depending on where you live, you can report it to:
- At the nearest police station to where the incident occurred.
- At the prosecutor’s office or UFI (Functional Instruction Unit).
- At the Instruction Court.
If the incident occurs in a public place, call 911. In the City of Buenos Aires, you can also call 0800-333-47225, the telephone number of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the City that operates 24 hours a day.
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