More charges expected in alleged dog-fighting ring near Tilbury

More charges are expected in the case of an alleged dog-fighting operation near Tilbury, Ont., a Crown prosecutor said in court Tuesday.

Three people are accused of holding 40 dogs, firearms and supplies for dog-fighting at a homeoutside Fletcher,about 15kilometres east of Tilbury. The dogs were found in varying stages of health and were all examined by a veterinarian.

The accused appeared in a Chatham court Tuesday for a bail hearing, though they will remain in custody until at least Thursday because of the additionalcharges. They currently face two counts of causing unnecessary suffering and two counts of carelessly storing a firearm.

"This has been a long, complex and emotionally-charged investigation," Chatham-Kent police Const. Renee Cowell said in an interview with CBC News. "To learn these animals were being abused for a monetary purpose is disgusting, truly."

She said a conviction on ananimal cruelty chargeas in the charges laid against the accused could lead to a maximum of five years in prison.

"This is rare for us, I think it was shocking to all of us to hear this was happening in our own backyard," Cowell said. "Our priority is the needs of the animals and we're working with the Ontario SPCA to make sure theneeds of the dogsare met and that those responsible are held accountable."

Dogs and guns seized from home

Police and agents from the OntarioSPCA executed a search warrant on the home Oct. 9, seizing the dogs and firearms.

The home, located on a dead-end street in the middle of soybean and corn fields, was quiet Tuesday. One car and a blue pickup truck were parked in the driveway, but theblinds were drawnand there didn't appear to be any activity outside.

Locals at the nearby coffee shop said they didn't know what was going on at the property. They said the people who lived there moved in about five or 10 years ago and weren't known in the small farming community.

The breed of the rescued dogs has not been released, though Brad Dewar, an inspector with the Ontario SPCA, confirmed to CBC News that they are "fighting dogs."

The charges against the accused have not been proven in court.

CBC News will be live-streaming a joint press conference with updates on the investigation withthe Chatham-Kent police and the Ontario SPCAat 1 p.m. Wednesday.