Vincent Lemark Burrell left animals in appalling conditions, Paulding District Attorney’s Office said, with authorities saying “they were not fit for humans, much less dogs”

Summary

Vincent Lemark Burrell, 57, was sentenced to 475 years in prison for running a large-scale dogfighting ring in Paulding County, Georgia.

Authorities discovered 107 malnourished pit bulls, many tied to trees or heavy chains without food, water, or shelter. Some dogs had teeth forcibly removed or severe scarring from fights.

Investigators also found training equipment and dogfighting paraphernalia. Burrell was convicted on 93 counts of dogfighting and 10 counts of animal cruelty.

All rescued dogs were placed in rehabilitation centers for care and recovery.

  • theangryseal@lemmy.world
    121·
    1 day ago

    If you grow up butchering pigs, you don’t tend to be bummed about pigs getting butchered. You know what I’m saying?

    My dad took me to cockfights when I was a kid. The first time I seen a rooster fall over dead it broke my heart. The 100th time didn’t move me at all. It was just a normal part of life. I fed them, I cleaned their cages, I picked them up and played with them, and then I watched them either kill or be killed. It was like skipping a rock across a pond by the end of it. Just a normal thing to me.

    I’m not defending the guy, but people used to throw humans into arenas and make them fight to the death. It takes a shift in culture to end things like this.

    Sure, this guy should be punished, but the goal should ultimately be about making this absurd in circles where it isn’t.

    I remember a few times when people were arrested over cockfighting after it was made illegal (long past my time being around it. It was probably 1998 or so the last time I seen a fight. I became a teenager and didn’t want be a part of something so barbaric) and everyone was just appalled that the people were arrested. They just couldn’t comprehend why it was illegal.

    I guess him being jailed could help end the bullshit. After a few people went to jail where I’m from, cockfighting just fizzled out around here. Nearly everyone I knew had game chickens in pens behind their house when I was growing up. Now if anyone has chickens it’s just for eggs. No one does it anymore.

    I knew chickens are living things too, but it seems so much worse doing it to dogs. Probably because I can relate to dogs as far as the way we handle pain and all that. I’m not a dog person but I live with two dogs and they handle emotions and pain very much like we do.