NC: Harry Hargrove Raided

Atlanta Humane Society helps with dog-fighting raid in N.C.

By Kristi E. Swartz

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1:16 p.m. Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The Atlanta Humane Society helped rescue 35 dogs from a possible dog-fighting operation in Duplin County, N.C., on Tuesday.

The dogs were removed and taken to an undisclosed location, Humane Society officials said.

One man, 76-year-old Harry Hargrove of Mt. Olive, was arrested.

Duplin County Sheriff’s investigators were able to conduct the raid based on a tip on an animal abuse tip line run by Norred & Associates, an Atlanta-based security firm.

Norred has helped with 21 raids on dog-fighting operations across the Southeast by pairing up with local law enforcement as well as the Atlanta Humane Society.

"Despite its illegality, people are still training and breeding pit bulls to participate in dog fights around the country," said Greg Norred, chief executive officer of Norred & Associates.

Atlanta Humane Society helps with dog-fighting raid in N.C. | ajc.com

 

Sheriff doesn't know where rescued dogs are

Sheriff doesn't know where rescued dogs are
Submitted by Scott Pickey on Thu, 04/15/2010 - 4:21pm.

DUPLIN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) -- We talked with Duplin County Sheriff Blake Wallace by phone this morning. He said his department got the original tip that Harry Hargrove was running the dog fighting ring busted Tuesday.

Wallace said he had never investigated something of this magnitude, so he called the Wilson County Sheriff's Department for advice, and they led him to the Atlanta Humane Society and Norred & Associates, a private investigating firm in Atlanta. He also said Hargrove only lived in Duplin County the last year or so and was shipping many of his dogs to other owners. That, Wallace said, is why his department was not aware of what was going on there.

Wallace said he cannot confirm Hargrove was running one of the top 5 dog-fighting rings in the country, which is what the Humane Society told us. He said he also does not know where the rescued dogs are, but that they're still in the Humane Society's care.

Sheriff doesnt know where rescued dogs are | WWAY NewsChannel 3 | Wilmington NC News

 

DUPLIN COUNTY

A man involved with one of the top five dog fighting operations in the country has been charged with almost 60 felonies.

Harry Hargrove, 76, has been charged with 59 felonies, including 34 counts of felony dog fighting and 25 counts of felony animal cruelty. Deputies are still going through evidence, but say additional charges are anticipated.

The charges stem from a dog fighting raid where 35 dogs, mostly pit bulls, were found Tuesday. Investigators believed dozens of others were dead on the property on Buck Hill Road in Duplin County near Mount Olive.

Anna Ware with Atlanta-based security firm Norred & Associates called the raid a "huge" bust.

"Some of the most brutal, horrific conditions I've ever seen in my life," Ware said. "The malnourished, starving dogs would rather have me pet them than give them a treat."

The bust was set in motion when leads came in to an animal abuse tip line at the security firm.

Then, in came the Atlanta Humane Society to help remove the dogs. Miguel Abi-Hassan works for the Atlanta Humane Society and said they were happy to share their resources to help rescue the dogs.

"We have several dogs that have heavy scarring, heavy damage on their forelimbs, on their neck, on their face, damage around the eyes," Abi-Hassan said.

Abi-Hassan also said it is suspected the bodies of 30 to 40 dogs are buried in a pit on the property.

The dogs were taken to locations in Eastern North Carolina and out of state to fight according to Duplin County Sheriff Blake Wallace.

"He did have a fighting pit on the property, but we did not uncover any information that he was having fights in the recent past," Wallace said.

Investigators say Hargrove may have been operating the dog fighting ring for as many as 40 years, but Wallace said he had only recently moved back to his childhood home of Duplin County.

Wallace said he believes the bust will lead to other charges involving people outside of Duplin County. It's the first dog fighting ring he has helped uncover but thinks it's becoming a growing problem in the southeast.

"It's disturbing; it's hard for me to believe someone would derive please from seeing animals fight to the death," Wallace said.

Ware said there is hope for the dogs that are living; that their lives will dramatically change for the better from now on.

"Our goal here is to rescue these dogs, treat them, nourish them and then find them loving homes," Ware said.

Hargrove is currently in jail under a $258,000 bond.

http://news.mync.com/site/news/story/50583/man-connected-to-duplin-dog-fighting-ring-faces-59-felony-charges