The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says that a guy was arrested for drug crimes in Florida, which led to the rescue of a 9-foot alligator and several abused dogs that may have been used for dog fighting.
In March, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said it got a tip about a house on the north side of the city that was being used to sell drugs.
Police said they found cocaine, oxycodone, weed, and several guns in the house. This led to the arrest of Marquis Williams, 49.
As the officers carried out the search order, they saw several dogs, dog-fighting gear, trophies, and books on the property.
JSO says that some dogs were kept in skyboxes and others were tied.
Officers said the dogs were badly neglected because they were covered in feces, fleas, and diseases.
They also said that some of the dogs had open wounds and others had scars that were getting better. The police said they found other animals in the same situation, like young turtles and mice.
A 9-foot alligator was also found in a small, fenced-in area by the police.
Officers said the alligator couldn’t get to water in its cage, and bones on the ground suggested it was being fed by other animals on the land.
An alligator wrangler from the FWC came to the land to safely get rid of the gator.
Williams faces more than a dozen felony animal abuse charges, along with drug and gun charges. These include illegally having an alligator and encouraging dog fighting, both of which are felonies.
