A federal grand jury just indicted seven Chesterfield County, South Carolina men for running a dogfighting operation that lasted nearly seven years. More than 100 pit bull-type dogs were seized from these properties, the largest single-property dog seizure in South Carolina history. Investigators found treadmills, bite sticks, heavy metal chains, and breeding stands used to force these animals to fight for money.

One of the men charged, Lonnie Gaskins, is a former Chesterfield County Sheriff's deputy. A hanging scale, weighted collars and chains, and a carpet stained with canine blood were reportedly found at his home. A former law enforcement officer allegedly running a dogfighting operation is a betrayal of the badge, and he deserves the same accountability as any other defendant, not less.

"Dog fighting turns suffering into entertainment and violence into a business," according to U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling of the District of South Carolina. He's right. These are not "gamblers" or "breeders." These are people who profited from torturing animals for entertainment, year after year, while more than 100 dogs suffered in chains.

The men indicted face up to five years in prison, and two face up to 15 years on firearms charges. That is not enough for seven years of organized cruelty. We're calling on the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina to pursue the maximum sentences allowed under the Animal Welfare Act and to ensure every seized dog gets a real path to rehabilitation and a home, not a death sentence for surviving.

Sign the petition to demand full accountability for this dogfighting ring and a real future for the dogs they hurt.