Dozens Of Pit Bulls Allegedly Used For Dog Fighting Seized From Kentucky Home, Canines Were Living In 'Bad Condition'

A Franklin County, Kentucky, man, suspected of running a breeding or dog fighting business, was charged with 38 counts of second-degree cruelty to animals after dozens of pit bulls were confiscated from his home.

The man, identified as 45-year-old David Allen Jackson, was booked Tuesday when he surrendered himself to the Franklin County deputy sheriffs.

A week ago, a search warrant was issued to Jackson’s property on Adams Lane off Evergreen Road in southwestern Franklin County. The search was conducted jointly by the sheriff's department and the police following a drug investigation.

“It’s a large property,” Franklin County Sheriff Chris Quire said. “There were treadmills for the dogs and thick metal chains for the dogs. It was pretty bad living conditions,” he said in a news release.

According to Quire, the dogs had minimal shelter and none of them were fed or had clean water to drink. He noticed that the dogs were restrained. Some were kept in cages while the others were chained to immovable objects.

He said the chain a dog was restrained to weighed almost 42 pounds. The dogs were denied medical care for a while and as a result, had many medical issues including mange and heartworms. Several of them were suffering from severe dental issues.

Jackson “didn’t do much talking. The evidence we found indicates he was in the breeding or dog fighting business,” he added.

“This may go into another investigation with other people,” he said. “I believe that’s where it is headed.”

Jackson was charged with Class A misdemeanors with a maximum sentence of 12 months in jail. He was being held at the Franklin County Regional Jail on a $2,000 bond. Quire said following a detailed investigation Jackson may face additional counts of charges.

The pit bulls, assisted by officials from Franklin, Anderson and Woodford counties, were immediately given medical care. According to the officials, none of the dogs underwent euthanasia.

In a similar incident a woman in Jonesboro, Arkansas, was charged with 12 counts of animal cruelty after officers found several dogs and cats living in extremely gruesome conditions in a home, which was covered with “trash and feces.”