This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.

More than 20 dogs were rescued from a suspected dogfighter in Georgia, and a new law that passed in the state this May can bring even heavier penalties for dogfighting by combining it with a charge for racketeering, a broad term referring to illegal acts that are committed to turn a profit through a criminal enterprise. Urge the district attorney to make sure this case is charged to the fullest extent possible.

On May 19, 2023, the Jones County Drug Unit and Criminal Investigations Division executed a search warrant at Dan Cleveland's home in Jones County and found about seven pounds of marihuana and five firearms. They also saw what they believed was evidence of a dogfighting ring and obtained a second search warrant.

According to the Jones County Sheriff's Office, this led to the seizure of over 20 dogs, including multiple families of puppies, and officers found “treadmills, weighted collars, chains, veterinary medications, and other items related to dogfighting.”

The dogs are all safe now and were taken to a rehabilitation facility by Jones County Animal Services.

Cleveland was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and dogfighting.

However, in May, Gov. Brian Kemp signed SB 68 into law, which adds dogfighting to the state's Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. This gives prosecutors another tool to add penalties for this cruel bloodsport and leaves guilty parties facing a fine and between 5-20 years in prison.

Dogfighting and cockfighting are not stand-alone crimes. The crimes of animal cruelty, gambling, drugs, and illegal weapons are all linked to the heinous abuse of dogs and roosters. The new law gives prosecutors the edge, in this case, to charge the dogfighter for racketeering. The horrors of dogfighting involve the suffering of ripped flesh, puncture wounds, crushed bones, a life of misery in extreme weather conditions, and deprivation of companionship while isolated on a chain. The miserable lives of the animals involved might not be a reality for a prosecutor or judge. What the justice system understands inherently is the impact of racketeering on communities. Join Georgians in seeking racketeering charges for Cleveland.

This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.