Nearly 200 Pit Bulls Rescued From a Dog Fighting Ring Run by a Former NFL Player

This week, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma unsealed documents detailing a shocking dog rescue operation. Back in October, federal authorities seized 190 Pit Bull-type dogs from a profitable dog fighting ring. Each of the dogs were saved from the residence of LeShon Johnson, a former National Football League running back and kick returner who played for the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, and New York Giants in the 1990s.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released a statement explaining that Johnson ran a dog fighting ring called “Mal Kant Kennels” out of Haskell, Oklahoma, and his home of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He bred dogs who had already won multiple dog fights in an attempt to raise pups with desirable fighting abilities. He sold many of these dogs to other dog fighters. “His trafficking of fighting dogs to other dog fighters across the country contributed to the growth of the dog fighting industry and allowed Johnson to profit financially,” the DOJ reported.

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This is Johnson’s second dog fighting offense; he was arrested for running another ring, “Krazyside Kennels” in 2004. He pled guilty to the charges and received a deferred sentence. The latest case is even more heinous; the DOJ believes it to be the “largest number of dogs ever seized from a single person in a federal dog fighting case.”

Dog fighting is illegal in all 50 states, and for good reason. Dogs raised to participate in fights are often kept in inhumane conditions and chained in enclosed and unsanitary spaces, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). During fights, dogs suffer injuries including broken bones, lacerations, and puncture wounds. Many animals are executed when they are unable or unwilling to fight. Admission fees, gambling, and breeding make dog fighting highly profitable.

Johnson is facing felony charges for possession of dogs for use in dog fighting ventures and the selling, transporting, and delivering of dogs for use in animal fighting ventures. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count.