A man from Dallas, Georgia, has received a 475-year prison sentence for his role in facilitating dog fighting and for animal abuse.
After being convicted of 93 counts of dog fighting and 10 counts of animal cruelty, 57-year-old Vincent Lemark Burrell was handed the maximum sentence.
Animal Crimes Resource Prosecutor Jessica K Rock informed Sky News’ US partner NBC News that it is the longest known sentence ever handed down for dog fighting.
In November 2022, an Amazon delivery worker reported Burrell to local police after noticing several dogs tied up with heavy chains at his Dallas property, leading to the initiation of the case against him.
According to prosecutors, police officers searched the residence and discovered 107 dogs on the property showing signs of abuse, including some noted to be underweight.
They noted that the grounds lacked food, water, and shelter, and many dogs were secured with logging chains nearby. “This tactic serves to build dog aggression,” stated the Paulding County district attorney’s office in a statement following the sentencing last week.
The sheriff’s office reported that another group of dogs, among the 107 on the property, was discovered in a basement where urine and feces were present on the ground.
The DA’s office reported that evidence found at Burrell’s property connected him to dog fighting, including a treadmill for dogs, a breeding stand, a break stick “used to pry open the jaws of a dog during a fight,” documents related to other “known dog fighters,” a first aid kit for injured dogs, veterinarian-only medication, and sales contracts for dogs.
According to prosecutors, a veterinarian examined the dogs and discovered some with removed teeth and fight-related scars.
According to NBC News, citing its Atlanta affiliate WXIA, the authorities seized the dogs, and they were eventually taken in by Forlorn Animal Rescue, a non-profit organization.
