Eleven dogs are now getting medical care after state investigators say they were pulled from a dogfighting operation on a rural property in Hopkins.
Thomas Hoefer, 57, was charged Friday, Nov. 6, with violating South Carolina’s Animal Fighting and Baiting Act and with ill-treatment of animals, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
Investigators said Hoefer owns the property on Goodside Road and told them the dogs were his. Veterinary forensic experts found that several of the dogs had scars consistent with organized dogfighting, along with medical problems that had gone untreated.
Agents also found a slat mill, a treadmill-like machine that runs on rollers instead of a motor. Investigators said these devices are used to train and condition dogs before fights.
The ASPCA helped rescue all 11 dogs and moved them to a recovery facility, where they’ll get ongoing medical treatment and behavioral care. The group is also doing forensic exams on the dogs to support the case.
Hoefer was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. The 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office will prosecute, and SLED says the investigation is still active. The Richland County Sheriff’s Department and Columbia police also worked on the case.
It’s the second dogfighting rescue in South Carolina in about a month. In October, SLED, the ASPCA and Greenville County deputies removed 10 dogs, including a puppy, from a suspected operation in Greenville County.
The charges are accusations, and Hoefer is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Anyone with information about possible dogfighting in South Carolina can email SLED at [email protected].
Source: South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, as reported by ABC News 4/WACH
