Three Tilbury residents facing 276 additional charges related to alleged dog fighting ring

Chatham-Kent police and OSPCA bust an alleged dog-fighting ring east of Tilbury, Ont., on Friday, Oct. 9, 2015. (Chris Campbell / CTV Windsor)

An additional 276 charges have been laid against three Tilbury residents related to an alleged dog fighting ring.

Members of the Chatham-Kent Police Service and Ontario SPCA executed three warrants at a residence on Morris Line in Tilbury East Township on Oct. 9.

Police say 31 ‘pit bull type’ dogs and a large quantity of evidence consistent with the training of dogs to fight was seized.

Fifteen shotguns and rifles along with a significant amount of marijuana was also found and seized.

Initially, John Robert, 43, Kim Robert, 39, and Michel Gagnon, 41, all of Morris Line were each charged with two counts of animal cruelty and two counts of careless storage of a firearm.

The dogs have been placed in the care of the Ontario SPCA where they are continuing to be individually assessed and treated.

Police say as a result of the investigation and tremendous amount of evidence seized from the scene, investigators have now laid additional charges.

Each of the accused are facing 92 additional charges:

-       31 counts of unlawfully owning a pit bull type dog contrary to the dog owner’s liability act

-       30 counts of cruelty to animals – causing unnecessary pain, suffering, injury to an animal

-       15 counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm

-       11 counts of careless storage of a firearm

-       4 counts of unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted weapon

-       1 count of possession for the purposes of trafficking

All three people were remanded into custody following their arrest on Friday. One of the accused was released from jail Thursday afternoon while the other two will stay behind bars at least for the weekend.