BROOKLYN — NYPD and ASPCA investigators rescued seven pit bulls when they smashed an organized dog-fighting ring that operated out of a Brownsville apartment, DNAinfo New York has learned.
Along with the seven battle-scarred pit bulls, investigators found inside the ground-floor apartment at 836 Boylan St. what they described as the trappings of a large-scale dog-fighting operation: an arena ringed with plywood; 25 dog kennels; an animal treadmill to keep the dogs in shape; syringes and narcotics apparently used to keep the animals “jacked up” for fighting; and modified hanging scales with a rope attachment used to strengthen dogs' teeth and jaws, law enforcement sources said.
The ASPCA has a special “Blood Sport Unit” that investigates animal-fighting rings, and it dispatched a Forensic Medical Team to the scene to examine the animals for injuries and scars to determine how long they had been brutalized, according to officials.
Prosecutors plan on using the ASPCA's findings as they build their case against the people behind the dog-fighting operation.
Sources say the seven dogs showed signs of bite marks and scars on their snouts and bodies.
Wesley Alexander, 39, who lived in the apartment, was arrested on weapons possession and animal cruelty charges, including torturing and overdriving animals, failure to provide proper sustenance to animals, and marijuana possession.
Cops recovered a .40-caliber handgun, several ammunition clips and pot from the scene, sources said.
Sources added that Alexander lived on the second floor of the apartment. He was released on $7,500 bail.
