Eight dogs are in need of loving new homes after being recovered on Wednesday from what deputies believe may have been a dog fight operation.
Hernando County Sheriff's COPPS Deputies along with Animal Enforcement Officers were in south Brooksville working to educate citizens in the community on code violations and issue warnings, if needed. During their rounds, deputies and AEO found eight dogs that were either tethered with heavy chains or confined in make-shift kennels on a vacant property.
Deputies later discovered that the property, located on Leonard Street, is owned by Hernando County.
The dogs were removed from the property by AEO and were then transported to the Hernando County Animal Services Shelter.
The make-shift kennels were destroyed and the chains were impounded. One of the chains weighed slightly over 10 pounds, according to the report.
Deputies believe the dogs were possibly being used as bait-dogs in a dog fighting operation. It is unknown who owns/owned the dogs as they were located on county owned property.
All dogs became property of the HCAS Shelter as of Sunday.
Anyone interested in adopting one or more of them can contact HCAS at 352-796-5062.
Hernando County Sheriff's COPPS deputes will have an increased presence in the south Brooksville Community in an effort to partner with citizens to reduce crime and to potentially root out dog fighting.
