Five pit bulls must be put down because they were so badly abused by a crew of dog fighters who staged bloody basement matches in a small Central Jersey town.
Police tipped off to the operation heard "dog cries, barks, and growls coming from the basement," along with people "clapping, shouting and whistling," when they approached the South Bound Brook house Sunday afternoon, Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne J. Forrest said.
"In the basement, officers discovered a dog fighting operation consisting of a large blood-stained fighting ring, 4 pit bulls in crates with visible bloody facial injuries, a large bloody water bucket with a blood soaked rag, and a dog bite stick which is used to pry open a dog’s mouth," Forrest said.
One of the four had an injured leg and a fifth was found, face bloodied, in a bathroom, the prosecutor said.
"There was no visible food or water for any of the dogs and no dog pet accessories commonly found with pet dogs," Forrest said.
South Bound Brook Police Chief William King quickly summoned the S.P.C.A. Humane Police and Animal Control personnel from St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center.
Five people have been charged with animal cruelty and animal fighting. One of the faces additional charges for trying to give officers the slip by breaking into a locked apartment upstairs -- where five children were living -- and hiding in a closet.
"The five pit bulls recovered were deemed unsuitable for adoption by St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center and were unfortunately scheduled to be euthanized," Forrest said.
If you know or hear of similar operations going on in your town, call your local police department immediately. Time really matters in these cases.
PHOTOS COURTESY SOMERSET COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE
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