At a Glance
- Case Type
- Criminal Indictment
- Parties
- Georgia v. Vincent Lemark Burrell
- Jurisdiction
- Paulding County, Georgia
- Date
- 2022-11-08
- Status
- Charged
Vincent Lemark Burrell, 55, was arrested at his home in Paulding County, Georgia, without incident, according to a news release from the Paulding County Sheriff's Office. Burrell is held in the Paulding County Jail without bond on felony counts of cruelty to animals and dog fighting. Additional charges are expected as the investigation continues, according to the release. CNN first reported the arrest on Nov. 12, 2022 [1].
Paulding County sheriff's detectives arrested Burrell after a long investigation into what the Paulding County Sheriff's Office described as a "massive dog fighting operation," located approximately 30 miles from Atlanta. Burrell bred and trained mostly pit bulls for dog fighting, police said. Paulding County Animal Control, the Paulding County Marshal's Bureau, and the Paulding County Sheriff's Office secured multiple search warrants in connection with the suspect's home on Old Cartersville Road in Dallas. Dog fighting is a felony in every U.S. state and under federal law, and attending a dog fight is also illegal. In most states, including Georgia, possessing a canine for the purpose of dog fighting is itself a felony offense. [2]
Detectives found unvaccinated pit bulls at the property that had been left outside for days on end and tied to trees or metal stumps in the ground "using large and extremely heavy logging chains and thick collars." Some of the pit bulls were emaciated, while others were very strong and aggressive toward other dogs, authorities said. Dogs were also found in the basement of the home, where detectives said the odor and presence of urine and feces were so strong that they had to wear protective equipment to safely enter the house. The Paulding County Sheriff's Office stated that conditions inside and outside the property were "not fit for humans, much less dogs" [1][2].
The sheriff's office said it expects to charge Burrell with more than 100 additional counts as the investigation continues. Paulding County authorities, including the sheriff's office and the marshal's bureau, have secured multiple search warrants for Burrell's home and are investigating. It was not clear at the time of initial reporting whether Burrell had retained an attorney. [1][2]
Authorities said the 106 rescued dogs have been placed with various rescue facilities to begin rehabilitation. Paulding County Sheriff Gary Gulledge stated: "In cases like these, we have to conduct a lengthy and thorough investigation. This is not something that we can just put together in a few days, cases like these are comprehensive and require us to work with many local, state, and federal entities." [1]
References
[1] CNN. (2022, November 12). Georgia man arrested for animal cruelty after 106 dogs bred for fighting were found on his property. https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/12/us/georgia-man-arrested-animal-cruelty/index.html
[2] CBS News. (2022, November 14). Man arrested for breeding and training over 100 pit bulls in "massive dog fighting operation" in Georgia, officials say. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dog-fighting-100-pit-bulls-vincent-lemark-burrell-arrested-georgia/
[3] NBC News. (2022, November 13). Georgia man arrested and accused of breeding and training over 100 pit bulls for dog fighting. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/georgia-man-arrested-allegedly-breeding-training-100-pit-bulls-dog-fig-rcna56961