Pima County Sheriff's deputies seized at least 150 dogs and made three arrests as they fanned out across the metro area Tuesday morning in raids targeting local dog breeders suspected of links to organized dog-fighting operations across the country, officials said.
The arrests include, Mahlon Patrick, a man believed to be among the top three breeders of fighting dogs in the country, said investigators at a morning press conference.
Members of the Sheriff's Department S.W.A.T. unit made the arrest at a site near Orange Grove Road and Sandario Road, in the Picture Rocks area. In addition to more than 100 dogs at that location, at least 10 requiring medical attention, they also seized more than 50 weapons and a "rape stand," a device used for breeding female dogs.
Others suspected of involvement have been detained and more arrests are expected.
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The dogs are being held as evidence in the case, which began last March when Chicago police stopped a van carrying several fighting dogs. Their investigation developed information leading to Tucson. The case was also aided by information provided by the national Humane Society.
Pima County officials said the dogs will be kept at secure undisclosed locations as the case proceeds. The animals in need of medical care are being treated. Decisions about the disposition of the dogs once the case is completed have not yet been made.
Jay Sabatucci, a program manager with the Humane Society of the United States and an expert in dog-fighting operations accompanied investigators on the raid. He said the operations targeted by deputies were well run, noting that most of the dogs were in generally good condition.
"This is their money, so they are well cared for here," he said. "The cruelty is in the fighting, not in how they are kept"
Sgt. Terry Parish, head of departments Community Problems Unit which includes the Animal Abuse Task Force, a participant in the raid near Orange Grove and Sandario Road said the dogs bred here were trained as fighting dogs and shipped across the country. Investigators also suspect ties to organized crime.
In addition to its initial involvement, two teams from the Humane Society of Southern Arizona are participating in the raids, assisting deputies and Pima Animal Care Center staff by cataloging information and removing an unknown number of fighting a breeding dogs, according to a statement released by the Humane Society.
Since Friday the local Humane Society has accepted 19 dogs from PACC to make room for animals seized in today's raids, and is prepared to take more.
In a small neighborhood of mobile homes west of the Tucson Mountains, roughly two dozen dogs were found on a single property. Each dog was chained to its own area.
Many of the dogs were friendly with deputies and licked their hands when they reached out to them.
At least eight of the dogs had scarring believed by investigators to have been sustained in past fights, as well as missing teeth and other injuries.
One very timid neutered male with substantial injuries was kept in a cage covered by metal sheets that showed dents from the impact of BB pellets that investigators believe were fired at the cage to torment the animal.
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