29 Dogs Seized From Suspected Dog Fighting Operation Need Homes

SUWANEE, Ga. -- Twenty-nine dogs that were seized in a raid involving suspected dog fighting and drug trafficking have formally been turned over to the Georgia SPCA.

Officials said the dogs' owner Antonio Monds, 32, had been under surveillance for six months for suspected dog fighting operation, gambling and drugs. Law enforcement, NORRED investigators and GA SPCA emergency response team seized the dogs from the Talbot County property on Wednesday and moved them to an undisclosed location in a nearby county.

Monds surrendered ownership of the dogs to the Talbot County Sheriff’s Department on Thursday. The Talbot County Sheriff’s Department is not equipped to care for animals that are seized so they have now turned over custody of the dogs to the Georgia SPCA. Georgia SPCA director, Joan Sammond said that the dogs are currently undergoing a more thorough evaluation for health and temperament and will be ready to go into rescue as early as next week. At that time the dogs will be fostered with rescue and adopted out as each agency sees fit.

"We will be taking several of the dogs into our Suwanee adoption facility. The rest of the dogs we need to find eligible rescue and humane organizations to take because our facility does not have the space for this many dogs. We have been contacted by Mariah’s Promise, a Pit bull rescue in Colorado but they are not sure how many of the dogs they would be able to help out with," Sammond said..." More

Seized Dogs May Face Death

Good News: On TV: Reality show funds dog rescue

“Pitbulls and Parolees” will air on Animal Planet.

By Sue Manning

LOS ANGELES — Pit bulls and parolees. Tia Maria Torres has opened her heart and home to the unwanted.

On 17 acres in the rugged terrain of Canyon Country, Torres provides a place to live or work for six parolees, 225 pit bulls, 204 volunteers, two French bulldogs, 19 cats, a husband and four kids.

Torres, 49, started Villalobos Rescue Center – the largest pit bull rescue in the United States – 14 years ago. She added ex-cons three years ago with prison pen pal and tattoo artist Aren Marcus Jackson, who would become her second husband.

But the rescue has been a money pit requiring creative financing. She tried to open a brothel to pay the bills, but it burned down. So now she's turning to reality TV – Animal Planet's “Pit Bulls and Parolees,” which airs next month – to help cover the $20,000 in monthly bills (including a ton of dog food a week) and an ever-growing $25,000 vet tab.

Adoptions averaged 10 a month recently, but they are running close to their 250 capacity. “If I took every dog I got a call on, I'd be taking in 100 a week,” Torres said.Producer Michael “MikeyD” Dinco was a student in a pit bull class Torres taught years ago. During a visit after the parolee program started, he knew he had to film a TV pitch..." More

Thanks to ohmidog for leading us to this story!