GA: 1 Arrested In Alleged Sardis DogFighting Ring

Sardis, GA --

One man is in jail, and two others are on the run, after police say they found a dog fighting ring in Sardis, Georgia.

19-year-old Terrance Calles is at the Burke County Jail on drug and animal cruelty charges.

Those dogs were being trained on a vacant lot on the 800 block of Bonner street in Sardis.

The Sardis Police Chief, Gary Jones, says the owner of the lot contacted them last Thursday.

Investigators say the heavy shrubs and overgrown trees made it difficult to spot the dog fighting ring.

But while it was hard to see the three pit-bulls, investigators say it certainly was not hard to hear them.

An empty bowl, a dog leash and a chain -- just some of the things left behind at a vacant lot in Sardis. Police say this lot was used as a training ground for dog fighting.

"It's an opportunity for people to gamble, and make money, just a sport,“ said Gary Jones.

Jones says someone fed the dogs raw meat and tied them up in deplorable conditions.

"All of the dogs were malnourished, and had no water. All 3 dogs had bite marks all over their body. It was obvious to anyone that these dogs were being as bait dogs for fighting against pit bulls,” said Jones.

Investigators say the owner contacted police when he heard several dogs barking and noticed people walking in and out of his lot.

The lot is only about 500 yards from the Sardis Police Department

"You couldn't see it from the air or the road,” said Jones.

After police rescued the dogs, they called in Richmond County animal control to evaluate the dogs' conditions. Local vets decided to euthanize the three pit bulls.

"Just in Sardis alone, we have hundreds of dogs, that are roaming the area, unleashed, untagged and unclaimed. We have no resources to do with them,” said Jones.

"There is no animal control assistance in the entire county of Burke which is the largest in the state of Georgia,” said Jones.

Jones says he hopes to have an animal control officer assigned to the police department but says the dog fighting ring is just part of a bigger problem in the small town.

"It's tied in with other criminal activity like gambling and drug activity,” said Jones.

Jones says they have arrest warrants for the other 2 suspects. They will face animal cruelty charges – one person is in custody so far.

By: Archith Seshadri Published: August 30, 2011 Updated: August 30, 2011 - 6:11 PM

Video at News link:
http://www2.wjbf.com/news/2011/aug/30/4/three-people-sought-animal-cruelty-sardis-ar-2341045/