Officials: Smith County Dog Fighting Part of Multi-State Investigation

TYLER � Authorities say two Kansas men were arrested Friday by federal investigators for involvement in a multi-state dog fighting ring, including dog fights near Tyler. Saturday, according to KETK, the Smith County Sheriff�s Office was asked to help with the investigation by the FBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Pete Davis, Jr., 38, (pictured) and Melvin Robinson, 41, both of Kansas City, Kansas, were charged with one count of buying, selling and delivering dogs for participation in an animal fighting ring. The complaint says Davis and Robinson had as many as 60 dogs, mostly pit bulls, that they trained and took to dog fights. Officials say the dogs were kept at a farm in Harrison County, Missouri, and the suspects� homes in Kansas City. The animals were reportedly taken to fights as far away as Dallas.

An FBI investigation that began in November 2012 allegedly revealed Robinson placed harnesses on dogs and chained them to a treadmill for several hours at a time to train them. Authorities say the treadmill was equipped with a plywood box to keep the dogs on the machine. Weights were also put on the dogs to strengthen them and there were caged live chickens in front of the treadmill as bait, according to officials. During the probe, law enforcement reportedly discovered dogs were killed during training and fighting and their bodies were thrown away.

On Sunday, March 17, the suspects reportedly held three dog fights involving six dogs at the farm in Missouri to prepare for a fight in Dallas. Robinson and Davis allegedly planned on betting $20,000 to $30,000 on a dog they were training for the fight scheduled for March 23. The fights are reportedly known as �dog shows.� After the dogs were collected by authorities, the ASPCA agreed to house and care for the animals.