Animal welfare officials broke up a dog-fighting ring Saturday night on the 1200 block of South 35th Street in Philadelphia's Grays Ferry neighbhorhood, according to the Pennsylvania SPCA.
Fourteen suspects were taken into custody.
Officers found drugs, two firearms, cash and a blood-spattered wooden fighting ring at the scene, the SPCA said.
Two pitbull-type dogs were transported to a shelter hospital. They are currently in stable condition, according to SPCA, which has custody of the dogs until their owners sign them over or until their court case is heard.
Sunday morning, officers searched a suspect’s vehicle and found an additional dog, according to the PSPCA. One of the dog's was wearing a weighted collar consistent with dog fighting. A second dog appeared ill and was taken to a shelter for treatment.
“Cases like this remind us that while we may not always hear about it, dog fighting is still happening in the City of Philadelphia,” Nicole Wilson, director of Humane Law Enforcement at PSPCA, said in a statement.
The investigation is open and ongoing, and PSPCA asks anyone with information on the case to call their Cruelty Hotline: 866-601-7722.
