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Alleged Oakland Dog Fighting Ring Busted

OAKLAND (KCBS) — Animal control officials in Oakland said a suspected dog-fighting ring they broke up on Thursday could be a small group operating among many that force animals to fight to the death in the Bay Area.

Eleven dogs were recovered from the alleged animal fighting operation at a home on Eldridge Avenue in East Oakland, said Dave Cronin with the city's animal service.

"The dogs were living in horrible conditions, lots of scars on their face. One of them has half his ear chewed off," he said.

Cronin said there are likely many more dog-fighting rings still active in the Bay Area.

His staff, he said, has been finding dead dogs on Monday mornings and it's likely those animals were involved in weekend fights.

Alleged Oakland Dog Fighting Ring Busted

"A lot of people think, 'this doesn't happen in my community or doesn't happen in a big city.' But these are operations that are taking place in San Francisco in warehouses, in Oakland, in San Jose. They are occurring all over the place."

While no arrests have been made so far in relation to this East Oakland operation, Cronin said the Alameda County District Attorney's office has made it a priority to prosecute dog-fighting cases.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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