Ga. Sheriffs’ Association offering reward for dogfighting tips

Published 10:18 am Thursday, September 6, 2007

LAWRENCEVILLE (AP) — The Georgia Sheriffs’ Association is starting a reward fund that will pay people for information on those involved in dogfighting.

The reward fund, announced Wednesday, will offer rewards of up to $2,500 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction of anyone involved in dogfighting.

“We hope this reward fund will generate information to make an arrest in some of these cases,” said J. Terry Norris, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association. “We hope to push this dogfighting issue out of the state.”

Norris said the sheriffs’ association was inspired by Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway, who in July, offered $10,000 of his own money for information on dogfighting.

“Money has always been a motivator to get someone to do the right thing,” Sheriffs’ Association Region 2 Vice President and DeKalb County Sheriff Thomas Brown said. “And this is a way for people to do so anonymously.”

Dogfighting has been getting increased attention in the wake of the federal dogfighting case against Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. Vick has been suspended indefinitely by the NFL after pleading guilty to his role in a Virginia-based dogfighting operation.