Man arrested for breeding and training over 100 pit bulls in "massive dog fighting operation" in Georgia, officials say

A man was arrested at his home in northwestern Georgia for allegedly breeding more than 100 pit bulls and training them for dog fighting, authorities said. Vincent Lemark Burrell, 55, faces charges for animal cruelty and dog fighting, according to the Paulding County Sheriff's Office.

Dog fighting, where animals are bred and conditioned to engage in physical fights for human spectators' entertainment, is a felony in every U.S. state and under federal law. Attending and watching a dog fight is also illegal. In most states, including Georgia, possessing a canine animal for the purpose of dogfighting is a felony offense on its own.

Police say they took Burrell into custody on Nov. 8 after an investigation suggested he was involved in "a massive dog fighting operation," according to the sheriff's office. When they arrived at his home in Dallas, about an hour west of Atlanta, deputies found 106 dogs — mostly pit bulls, according to the sheriff's office — shackled "to various things" in the backyard using heavy logging chains and collars.