Crime & Safety

Dog Fighting Operation Busted by Police

The shooting of Cabela the dog led to the discovery of a larger operation.

Two adults now face dog fighting charges following the Tampa Police Department’s discovery last week of a dog that had been tied to railroad tracks, shot and left for dead.

Police announced the arrests of two 17-year-old boys in the March 4 shooting of the dog they’ve named Cabela Wednesday night. On Thursday morning, two more arrests were announced.

This time those charged are adults who police say were Cabela’s original owners.

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Tampa Police and Hillsborough County Animal Services conducted a search of a home at 8516 N. 16th St. in Tampa earlier this week and found two dogs that had “injuries consistent with dog fighting,” and email from the police department to media stated.

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Detectives also uncovered evidence of dog fighting in the backyard, the email stated.

The home is where police say Cabela lived prior to her shooting.

When brought into custody, the two adults who live at the home admitted to owning the injured dogs found on the property and Cabela, the agency noted.

Darnell Devlin, 18, and Kenny Bell, 21, now face two felony counts each of possession of a dog fighting dog. Both men were being held at the Hillsborough County Jail without bond as of Thursday morning.

Booking photos of Darnell Devlin and Kenny Bell courtesy of the Tampa Police Department

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