Justin Love, Dog Fighting, New Jersey 2023

Justin Love Charged with Dog Fighting in New Jersey

A 36-year-old man from Glassboro, New Jersey, has been charged with violating the Animal Welfare Act in connection with an interstate dog fighting venture.

According to a complaint filed in Newark, New Jersey, federal court, the six pit bull-type dogs were seized on June 1 from a private residence in Westville, New Jersey, pursuant to a federal search warrant.

The condition of a majority of the dogs, including scarring and aggression towards other dogs, was consistent with dog fighting and related training. For example, one of the female dogs, subsequently identified as "Momba," had severe scarring and showed signs of other serious injuries consistent with her participation in dog fights.

Other indications of unlawful dog fighting were found on the Westville property, including paraphernalia such as flirt poles, which are used to condition a dog and foster natural hunting instincts, and a spring pole, which is used to strengthen a dog's neck and jaw muscles.

Dog fighting is a violent contest in which two dogs bred and conditioned for fighting are released by their owners or handlers in a controlled environment to attack each other and fight for purposes of entertainment and gambling.

Justin Love, 36, of Glassboro, New Jersey, has been charged by criminal complaint with violating the Animal Welfare Act. The federal Animal Welfare Act makes it a felony punishable by up to five years in prison to fight dogs or to possess, train, sell, buy, deliver, receive, or transport them for that purpose.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Devlin and Barbara Ward, Acting Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section of the District of New Jersey. Once the dogs are forfeited or surrendered to federal authorities, they can be evaluated and placed for adoption.

This case is part of Operation Grand Champion, a coordinated effort across numerous federal judicial districts to combat organized dog fighting.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/department-justice-and-us-attorney-s-office-seek-forfeiture-six-dogs-seized-connection