Protesters outside the Chatham-Kent Provincial Offences Courhouse, November 3, 2016 (Photo by Jake Kislinsky)Protesters outside the Chatham-Kent Provincial Offences Courhouse, November 3, 2016 (Photo by Jake Kislinsky)
Chatham

Seized Dogs Being Sent To Florida

Several pit bull-type dogs that were seized during a dog-fighting investigation in the Tilbury-area back in the fall of 2015 are being given a second chance.

Toronto-based Dog Tales Rescue and Sanctuary is set to hold a press conference at 10am on Tuesday to fill in the details, but the Canadian Press is reporting that a court in Chatham has ordered that 18 of the dogs that were seized be surrendered to the Ontario SPCA, and then taken to a rehabilitation facility in Florida.

A release from Dog Tales says the "dogs who faced horrific cruelty at the hands of humans will have the opportunity for a fresh start."

The court ruling follows more than a year of negotiations and court dates.

The OSPCA has been caring for the dogs since they were seized and also applied to put 21 of them down after the American SPCA assessed the dogs and deemed them too aggressive for rehabilitation.

That drew a wide-spread and high-profile outcry.

Dog Tales was even able to enlist the help of actress Maggie Q, actor Adrian Grenier and socialite Paris Hilton who both appeared in videos on a website called SaveThe21.com, condemning the application to euthanize the dogs.

Four suspects still face face hundreds of charges in connection with the dog-fighting investigation, dating back to an October 2015 raid led by Chatham-Kent police and the OSPCA.

Actress Paris Hilton and actress/model Maggie Q show their support for 21 dogs seized from an alleged dog-fighting ring in Tilbury. (Photo courtesy of SaveThe21.com) Actress Paris Hilton and actress/model Maggie Q show their support for 21 dogs seized from an alleged dog-fighting ring in Tilbury. (Photo courtesy of SaveThe21.com)

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