A pit bull, not one of the dogs taken Saturday
RANKIN COUNTY, Miss.–It was a complaint about noise Saturday night that sent Rankin County deputies to a house where there was a huge dog fight going on. The fighters scurried like rats when deputies got there, leaving behind 18 vehicles and three people who didn’t get away.
Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey told media it was the biggest dog fighting ring he’s ever seen and the shape the dogs were in: disgusting.
Nathaniel Cooper, 29, of Brandon, owns the home where the dog fight was happening. Bailey said he thought there might be a dog fight training facility on the land. Cooper was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Also charged with felonies were Kyre A. Cooper, 27, of Brandon and Sedrick D. Lyles, 28, of Lena.
The dogs had to be tranquilized and were taken to a no kill shelter for treatment.
Meanwhile, the ones who got away left behind a lot of evidence, their vehicles. Bailey said they were towed and impounded and most were from surrounding counties.
The vehicles’ owners must sign a sworn statement to get their cars and trucks back and they could face felony charges just for being at the dog fight.
There was an arena about 100 yards behind the house, with generators and lights and equipment for weighing the dogs, that included chains hanging from trees.
Bailey told WJTV that considered it a slap in the face to his department that anyone thought they could come into Rankin County to do something like dog fighting and that he was going to make sure everyone involved got what was coming to them.
