A man from Dallas in Georgia has been sentenced to 475 years in prison for facilitating dog fighting and abusing animals.
Vincent Lemark Burrell, 57, was given the longest possible sentence after being found guilty of 93 counts of dog fighting and 10 counts of cruelty to animals.
It’s the longest known sentencing involving dog fighting ever, Animal Crimes Resource Prosecutor Jessica K Rock told Sky News’ US partner NBC News.
The case was launched against him in November 2022, when an Amazon delivery worker reported Burrell to local police after seeing several dogs tied up with heavy chains at his property in Dallas.
Police officers searched the home and found 107 dogs on the grounds with signs of abuse, prosecutors said, including some observed as underweight.
They added that the grounds were lacking food, water and shelter – and many dogs were restrained with logging chains in close proximity, “a tactic that serves to build dog aggression,” the Paulding County district attorney’s office said in a statement last week, after the sentencing.
Another group of dogs among the 107 at the property was found in a basement living with urine and faeces on the ground, the sheriff’s office said.
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The DA’s office said evidence was found at Burrell’s property linking him to dog fighting, including a treadmill designed for dogs, a breeding stand, a break stick “used to pry open the jaws of a dog during a fight,” documents linked to other “known dog fighters,” a first aid kit for injured dogs, veterinarian-only medication and sales contracts for dogs.
A vet examined the dogs and found some with removed teeth and scars from fighting, prosecutors said.
The dogs were seized by authorities and ultimately taken in by the non-profit organisation Forlorn Animal Rescue, NBC News reported, citing its affiliate WXIA of Atlanta.
Dog fighting ‘still prevalent’
After the sentencing, US authorities said they hoped Burrell’s hefty sentencing would raise awareness of dog fighting.
“The average person doesn’t realise how prevalent dog fighting still is,” said Paulding County’s chief marshal Trevor Hess.
“But the more we talk about this issue and educate the public, the more people will understand that dogs aren’t ‘just’ property, and you cannot treat them in this way.”
Prosecutor Jessica K Rock said: “Dog fighters operate hidden in plain sight, in an organised, criminal enterprise that includes breeding and selling dogs, training dogs, hosting and spectating violent fights, and fighting dogs to the point of exhaustion or serious injury.”
“It is a despicable activity that is incredibly cruel to the dogs,” she continued, adding she hoped one day the crime would be “eradicated”.
