24 Rescued Pit Bulls Need Foster Homes

There are 24 pit bulls rescued from a dog-fighting site in northern Richland County that need foster homes. 

The dogs were awarded to the state in a magistrate court hearing, and are in the care of the Richland County Sheriff's Department. 

The pit bulls were rescued from Camp Ground Road after deputies received a complaint about dogs barking in the woods. .

The sheriff's department is looking for people to foster the dogs while the case is under investigation. Before they are put in foster homes, each dog will be evaluated by a behavior assessor, said Kimberly Kelly, S.C. State Director for the Humane Society of the U.S.

"Preliminarily, the dogs seemed to be pretty friendly," Kelly said. "That's really good news." 

The Humane Society is helping the sheriff's department find a behavior assessor to make sure that the dogs will be safe for foster homes — and later, adoption.

"These aren't your stereotypical animal shelter dogs," Kelly said.

Sheriff Leon Lott said the dogs were isolated from each other and tied to trees with 15-pound chains. The puppies had their ears clipped so that other dogs couldn't grab onto their ears during fights. 

One of the older dogs named Beethoven had his right ear bitten off during a fight. 

"These dogs aren't born mean," Lott said. "They train them to be mean. Once they lose, they kill them. They don't want a dog that loses."

The dogs have all been checked by a veterinarian and are in good health, Lott said. 

In the past, dogs rescued from fighting rings were euthanized, Kelly said. That's not the case any longer. 

"We want to make sure every dog gets its chance," Kelly said. 

Of the 24 pit bulls, 18 are between one and three years old. The others are younger than a year. 

"These dogs can be rehabilitated. Some of them are still puppies," Lott said. "We need to find homes for these dogs."

A volunteer with Pawmetto Life Line is helping find foster homes for the dogs. People who want to foster a dog must fill out an application and have a background check.

If you are interested in fostering a dog, call 803-622-4748.