Dogfighting in SC: Investigators give inside look at what happens after rescues

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) — South Carolina is uncovering more dogfighting operations than ever as investigators confront the violence, trauma and unspoken evidence left behind in each case.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division rescued more than 200 dogs from illegal dogfighting rings in 2024, reflecting a growing focus on identifying networks tied to cruelty and organized crime. What the animals cannot say, their scars often reveal, as teams work through examinations, documentation and chain-of-custody steps that start the moment they leave a fighting pit.

“Dogfighting has been around forever. Trying to prosecute these cases has been difficult because the victims cannot speak. Veterinary forensics gives the animal a voice by using its body as evidence,” Aldwin Roman, the vice presid