Alleged New Jersey dog fighting kingpin busted

A major federal undercover operation led to the arrest of the alleged leader of a prolific dog fighting operation, shedding light on the “brutal” and illegal blood sport that subjects animals to horrific injuries, pain and suffering for profit.

Bruce Low Jr., 45, who law enforcement suspects is the “leader” of “one of the top five dog fighting breeders in the United States,” was arrested last week after investigators executed search warrants at three New Jersey properties related to a dog fight. This network is believed to operate on an international scale.

He was later charged with second-degree racketeering, second-degree conspiracy, second-degree money laundering, animal cruelty, dog fighting to bet on the outcome, falsification of records and six others accusations. Seven of his alleged accomplices were also arrested and charged.

More than 120 dogs — including one with a missing leg and many with open wounds, heavy scarring and swelling — were found on one of the Cumberland County properties linked to Low, authorities said Friday.

Most of them suffered from untreated injuries, were shivering and showed signs of abuse and neglect, authorities said.

“I honestly can’t even imagine what other hell these dogs have endured,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said, adding that the dogs had been “tortured and abused.”

According to court documents obtained by The Post, investigators also located two dead dogs in a fighting pit and noted blood on the walls.

“In general, with an operation of this size, there’s no doubt in my mind that these guys are selling nationally and even internationally,” Humane Society of the United States vice president told the Post. Adam Parascandola.

Dog fighting is illegal in all 50 states, but it is rampant in “cruel and callous” underground gambling operations, supported by breeders, trainers and spectators, and rooted in animal cruelty.

It is especially popular in the Southwest and Northeast, said Parascandola, who accompanied police to help rescue the surviving dogs at the New Jersey compound.

“There were pregnant female dogs, lactating female dogs, some severely underweight, a lot of dogs with quite extensive scarring, some had open sores and swelling,” he said of the operation. safety.

“Some were limping with a number of injuries including broken bones and broken bones that had not been treated.”

According to Parascandola, the United States is also one of the world’s leading distributors of “fighting dogs” to countries like Poland, Bulgaria, South Africa, Mexico and beyond.

“A lot of kennels around the world buy from the United States,” he told the Post.

“The public generally does not understand the scale of the organization involved in these dog fighting rings and their organized criminal nature.

“This is not only happening within the country, but also between international dog catchers who talk to each other in different ways.”

Cops say Low, known as “Hollywood,” ran the dogfighting operation under the business name Royal Bull Kennels and that he and some of his alleged co-conspirators posted about the tie-in sales and exchanged fight videos on Facebook and in private messaging groups.

They used code names such as “hounds” and “gigs” – terms used in the industry to describe fighting dogs and organized dog fights in an attempt to go unnoticed by authorities, according to court documents.

Low and his attorney, former Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon Tyner, did not return calls from The Post on Thursday.

On its website, RBK goes to great lengths to emphasize that its operations are impeccable.

“We are not breaking any laws! » reads one warning.

“All of our dogs are used in legal activities including conformation, weight pulling, obedience, treadmill racing and other non-illegal activities.

“We do not own any dog ​​that has been knowingly used in illegal activities before or after it came into our possession. We do not condone the use of dogs in any illegal activity.

But charging documents suggest there are several flaws in that claim. Police say Low unwittingly turned himself in when he corresponded with a potential customer who turned out to be an undercover detective pretending to be interested in purchasing a dog.

Low told the agent he held 61 “gigs” – according to authorities – last year alone, describing one of those events in detail.

Authorities also charged Low’s mother and business partner, Terri A. Low, 67; his son, Bryce J. Low, 20; and his son-in-law, Roosevelt Hart IV, 29, for various offenses including dog fighting, racketeering and money laundering.

Col. Patrick Callahan, state police chief, said a tip and subsequent undercover investigation resulted in “the largest seizure and dismantling of a dogfight ring in state history.” State of New Jersey.”

“The pedigree of his fighting dogs is well known and highly sought after in the dog fighting world,” Dominick Quartuccio, a state police detective, wrote in an affidavit, adding that “Low, Jr. generated significant income from dog fighting.”

Bloodsport can be very lucrative for owners and for spectators who can bet large sums of money on a match and clean out the “main purse”. According to Parascandola, breeders also make a lot of money through “side bets” and the sale of dogs bred for fighting.

“The biggest breeders and sellers, well-known and popular, certainly make hundreds of thousands of dollars every year,” Parascandola told the Post.

During the investigation, surveillance observed Coy Dickerson, a “world-renowned gundog trainer,” strapping dogs to a vehicle and running them on the compound’s trails to prepare them for dogfights. several times, a police affidavit states.

“Coy had dogs chained up in the yard, living in barrels and dogs in kennels around his trailer in the compound,” Platkin said at the news conference Friday.

“We know that on multiple occasions dogs have been tied to ATVs and forced to run at speeds of up to 14 miles per hour, often for extended periods of time.

“In at least one case, even beyond an hour.”

According to Parascandola, dogs born in the complexes live chained from the age of eight weeks, being released only to condition or fight.

“Even winning dogs often walk away with gaping wounds or broken bones, only to be put back on a heavy chain without treatment, even if only for breeding purposes,” he told the Post .

“Most of these dogs are bred specifically like this, they start life with their owner’s expectation that they will be used in fighting, so from the age of eight to twelve weeks they are subject to a heavy burden. and spend most of their lives on this chain.

It’s a “horrible” life in every way for any dog ​​unlucky enough to find themselves in it.

The dogs are usually only released for breeding, conditioning or fighting purposes, Parascandola said.

“Even without the injuries caused by dog ​​fighting, dogs continually suffer, as they are often only given a barrel to shelter in and are mostly ignored,” he said.

The fights are “intense” and often end in “disabling injuries” for the dogs. Fights last on average 30 to 90 minutes, but some last much longer.

“Dogs that are doing well but survive with horrible injuries are simply put back into the chain, even if only for breeding purposes,” he added.

Parascandola said he personally saw videos of people involved in the American industry “clapping” as a dog with two broken front legs attempted to move and continue the fight in the pit.

He said dogs rescued from the New Jersey complex have since been treated and placed in shelters and rescue centers for adoption.

Despite the horrific treatment they have suffered at the hands of their owners, most animals bred for fighting are not “human aggressive”, and the majority of rescues are determined to be suitable for placement.

“They all greeted us with wagging tails and just want love and attention,” he said.