63 dogs seized from suspected dog fighting operation

ATLANTA — Federal agents have seized 63 dogs after discovering blood-stained carpet at the site of a suspected dogfighting pit in rural Georgia.

Prosecutors say state troopers pulled over four vehicles March 17 and found a pit bull covered in blood.

Authorities say the driver admitted to having just attended a dog fight in a remote part of Dodge County, about 140 miles (225 kilometers) southeast of Atlanta.

Agents searched the scene and found 55 pit bull dogs staked to the ground with heavy chains and with no access to food.

They also found four “grave areas” and the buried bodies of five dogs.

Dodge County jail records show that six Georgia men and one South Carolina man are facing dog fighting-related charges. The records do not list attorneys for them.