DINWIDDIE COUNTY, Va. – A Dinwiddie County man has been convicted of 37 counts of dogfighting and animal cruelty involving 26 dogs.
Eldridge Freeman, Jr., 44, participated in dogfighting at his property on Wilson Road in Dinwiddie County, according to evidence presented in court.
Last November, investigators seized 26 dogs from Freeman’s property.
They discovered a 14x14x2 fighting pit equipped with carpet, a tarp for a cover, and what appeared to be blood stains and smears on the inside. Investigators said dogfighting paraphernalia, heavily scarred dogs, and other items associated with dog breeding and dogfighting were also found on the property.
Prosecutors say Freeman housed the dogs in an inhumane way in plastic barrels, water tanks or plywood whelping boxes.
The case was prosecuted by Attorney General Herring’s first in the nation Animal Law Unit. The unit serves as a training and prosecution resource for state agencies and investigators dealing with matters involving animal fighting, cruelty, and welfare.
