Lake County, Ind., police said they discovered six dead pit bulls, bloody collars, a small treadmill and a six-week workout schedule leading up to "game day" when they searched a Calumet Township home belonging to a Gary firefighter Monday.
They also found weighted harnesses, straps and 16 live pit bulls they said belonged to Carlton Davis Jr. in the 3700 block of W. 48th Place in unincorporated Calumet Township just west of Gary.
The 16 thirsty pit bulls chained in a swampy plot beyond Daviss back yard were getting water, food and tender care from Lake County Animal Control and Shelter workers on Wednesday.
For most of them, it will be their last home.
"They have been conditioned to be very aggressive toward other animals. I dont think we will be able to place most of them, Director Matt Lubarski said Tuesday.
Lake County Sheriff Roy Dominguez said it's the first confirmed case of dog fighting discovered in Lake County in recent memory, and he's hoping it might be a breakthrough for catching others.
"This is something we've been waiting for," he said.
Detective Michelle Weaver said she will contact the Lake County Prosecutors office Tuesday to pursue charges against Davis, who police believe was in South Carolina.
"He can't deny that they're his," Weaver said, sorting photographs of the dogs she found in the house.
The pictures, most of which did not show any abuse, were in albums in a bedroom, and one was kept in a picture frame beside the couch in the living room.
But hidden in files in the house were photographs of dogs strapped down in his barn and being forced to breed.
Weaver also discovered a six-week workout schedule for the dogs, requiring two-mile and five-mile walks and workouts on a treadmill, all leading up to "game day."
"It's just inconceivable that someone could be so inhumane," Dominguez said.
Gary Fire Chief Robert Walker said he had not been notified of the search, but would begin his own investigation into the accusations immediately.
"Thats not anything we condone," Walker said.
Davis, who works at the Black Oak fire station in Gary, was expected to begin a shift Tuesday, Walker said.
Weaver said neighbors had noticed the dogs had been neglected for days and called the county police on Monday.
Officers came to the house to respond to the complaint. When they noticed the way the dogs were being kept, they left to get a search warrant.
Officers first searched a barn on the property where they found a wooden treadmill and scale. Bloody dog collars were on a shelf along with wires for shocking the animals. They also found a device with two straps on each end, likely used to agitate the animals before a fight.
"They basically just strap the dogs face to face in there," Weaver said.
Behind the garage in the secluded, wooded back yard, pit bulls were chained to the ground. They had been given plastic barrels for shelter.
"We're going to follow every lead and see where it takes us," Dominguez said.
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