PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — After a four-day long trial, a Paulding County man has learned his fate after he was found guilty of dog cruelty and cruelty to animals.
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On Thursday, Vincent Lemark Burrell, 57, was found guilty of 103 counts, including 93 counts of dog fighting and 10 counts of cruelty to animals.
The conviction stems from an investigation that began on November 8, 2022. Paulding County deputies responded to a complaint from an Amazon driver concerned about dogs he saw at Burrell’s home on Old Cartersville Road.
Authorities later found 107 dogs, most of which were tied on heavy logging chains, in Burrell’s backyard. According to officials, the dogs did not have access to food or water, with most of them being underweight.
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The Paulding County District Attorney’s Office said there were multiple items associated with dog fighting including a chicken being used to entice the dogs, a treadmill designed for dogs, a breeding stand, a break stick (used to pry open the jaws of a dog during a fight), documents linking Burrell’s dogs to other known dog fighters, a crash kit commonly used to treat dogs after a dog fight, medication used only by licensed veterinarians, and contracts for selling specific dogs.
The DA’s office said that the same day, a veterinarian examined the dogs and found that they had rashes around their necks from their collars. The scarring patterns were consistent with dog fighting. Several dogs had teeth that had been forcibly removed from their mouths.
The Paulding County Animal Shelter took custody of the dogs and they were later taken to a rescue organization.
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A judge sentenced Burrell to 475 years in prison, the maximum sentence possible.
“Let this be a clear message that Paulding County will not accept or condone the inhumane treatment of animals – especially the violence and abuse associated with dog fighting,” said Lead Prosecutor K.C. Pagnotta.
“Justice was served today for the voiceless. This type of activity will not be tolerated in Paulding County,” said Sheriff Ashley Henson.
Henson encourages anyone with information about similar activities in Paulding to call 911 or, if they wish, they may leave an anonymous tip at 770-443-3047 or via the Paulding Sheriff’s Office app.
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