A Massachusetts man was arrested today in Hanson, Massachusetts, for allegedly possessing dogs for participation in a dogfighting venture at his Massachusetts home.
According to the criminal indictment, John Murphy, 50, of Hanson, was charged on nine counts of possessing animals for use in an animal fighting venture, in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act. At his home, Murphy possessed items associated with participation in a dogfighting venture. This included intravenous infusion equipment, syringes, anabolic steroids, a skin stapler, forceps, equipment and literature for training dogs including a slat mill and a flirt pole, break sticks used to separate fighting dogs and a breeding stand used to immobilize female dogs during breeding to prevent harm while mating.
The United States also filed a civil complaint for forfeiture of 13 pit bull-type dogs seized by federal agents while executing a federal search warrant in June 2023 of Murphy’s residence and another residence in Townsend, Massachusetts. The dogs are currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and are being cared for by a USMS contractor. The civil complaint also alleges that several of the seized dogs had scarring.
The civil forfeiture complaint further alleges that Murphy frequently communicated with other dogfighters via Facebook. Murphy also allegedly posted several dogfighting-related photos to his Facebook account, including a photo of a pit bull-type dog with scarring and discolorations on its head and leg consistent with that of dogfighting, as well as a photo of a pit bull-type dog restrained in a breeding stand. Additionally, in 2019, 2020 and 2021, Murphy allegedly posted videos that depicted pit bull-type dogs physically tethered to treadmill-like-devices commonly used to physically condition dogs in preparation for a dogfight.