5 animals rescued from dog fighting ring uncovered in woods near NC golf course
Police busted a 13-person dog fighting ring in the woods east of Statesville over the weekend.
Officers found a dog fighting ring and hanging scale in a field behind Sena Lane’s dead end Saturday, according to an Iredell County Sheriff’s Office news release.
Police found more than 20 vehicles and several people at the location, which likely had been used for several dog fights in the past, deputies said.
It was not immediately clear how long the dog fighting operation had been running at the site — which sits next to Twin Oaks Golf Course and behind Iredell County’s Area Transit System office — or how many dogs were involved. The county’s animal control rescued five dogs Saturday, according to the news release.
All 13 men, ranging from 22 to 56 years old, face felony dog fighting and conspiracy charges. One man, 46, also faces misdemeanor cruelty to animals, according to the news release.
