Five people were taken into custody on Thursday, Feb. 1, on suspicion of running a dog-fighting club out of a Pueblo home located at 14000 E. Beech Street.

Local law enforcement and Animal Services first launched a joint investigation of the suspected dog-fighting ring back in January. It's not long after undercover officers recorded video footage of defendants telling them about how dogs can be trained to fight one another that they were able to convince a judge to sign a search warrant so that they could comb through the compound.

By the time they executed the warrant, their suspicions were confirmed. They reportedly found almost 20 dogs, mostly puppies, tied up in the home. They found other evidence to suggest ties to a dog-fighting operation, as well.

Inside the home, they took three men into custody. The police discovered that those individuals had warrants out for their arrests. The other two men were placed under arrest on suspicion of fighting animals. The latter were transported to the Pueblo County Detention Center for booking. They were later let out on personal recognizance bonds.

Some dogs had fresh bite wounds while others had scars from healed bites. The dogs are currently being evaluated by Animal Services staff as they await for a judge to decide whether they can be placed in permanent homes.

If you've been accused of a crime such as dog-fighting, it's important to know that a conviction could result in you spending significant time in jail. In learning more about your case, a Colorado Springs criminal defense attorney can advise you of potential penalties you could face.

Source: KKTV 11 News, "19 dogs seized in Pueblo for alleged dog fighting ring, arrests made," Feb. 04, 2018