Dogfighting charges have been filed against the suspect in an animal-cruelty case involving 100-plus dogs in Polk County, according to a report.
Additional charges of criminal attempt to commit dogfighting were filed against Devecio Ranard Rowland, northwestgeorgianews.com reported.
Rowland, 32, was charged with 70 misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals after police found dogs tied up to trees Monday at his foreclosed residence in Aragon.
Police found 35 more dogs owned by Rowland at another property in the area, and a dog with seven puppies were located at his girlfriend’s home, Polk County police Chief Kenny Dodd said.
“I’m not really sure what the purpose of having 70 dogs tied to a tree in the woods is unless you’re in some kind of breeding,” Dodd said.
The dogs still are being placed.
Some are at rescue centers, police said in a Facebook post. Others are at animal control shelters in Polk, Paulding and Douglas counties.
Authorities are going through a legal process to gain control of the dogs because Rowland will not sign them over.
Rowland faced dogfighting charges in 2010, Dodd said. But those charges were dropped when a key witness died and some key video evidence was lost.
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