- North Carolina, USA -
~ Update: May 8, 2022
On May 5, 2022, in Rockingham County Superior Court a jury has found 43-years-old DARRICK LORENZO FULLER (pictured) guilty of dogfighting and cruelty to animals.
According to a news release by Rockingham County DA Jason Ramey, published on the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, FULLER was found guilty of:
15 counts of Felonious Cruelty to Animals
9 counts of Felony Dog Fighting and Baiting
3 counts of Misdemeanor Cruelty to Animals
1 count of Practicing Veterinary Medicine Without a License
The Honorable John O. Craig of Guilford County sentenced FULLER to 23 consecutive sentences for a total minimum of 15 years and 4 months to a maximum of 19 years and 11 months in the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections.
Judge Craig ordered FULLER to pay $86,751.05 to the Rockingham County Animal Shelter and additionally ordered that $7,100 seized during the search of FULLER’s house “be forfeited to the Animal Shelter to partially satisfy the judgment,” stated the release.
On March 26, 2021, investigators with the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at FULLER’s property on 486 Mosley Loop in Madison.
35 Terrier/Pitbull mix dogs were found and seized from the residence.
Only 20 furbabies have found a furever home, the other 15 “had to be humanely euthanized because of the injuries and trauma they suffered at the hands of FULLER.”
During the lengthy trial, Assistant District Attorney Katy Gregg admitted 223 exhibits into evidence for the jury and called ten witnesses, including two expert witnesses: a Forensic Veterinarian and an Animal Behavioral Specialist.
The Rockingham County Sheriff's Office said that District Attorney Jason Ramey said: “Cases involving animal cruelty are some of the hardest and most complex cases to prove because these precious animals cannot tell us what happened. Thankfully, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office did an incredibly professional and thorough investigation to make sure my office had the evidence needed to put this unspeakably cruel and vicious monster away for a long time.”
~ Original story:
The Rockingham County Sheriff's Office wrote in a Facebook post of June 4, that on March 26, its investigators executed a search warrant at a property on 486 Mosley Loop in Madison. An investigation led them to believe that an individual, later identified as 42-year-old DARRICK LORENZO FULLER (pictured), was advertising the sale of dogs trained to fight other dogs for sport at that location.
According to the sheriff’s office, “this information was brought to the investigators by an anonymous caller from Canada who had seen these advertisements posted on the internet.”
The search team, led by Sergeant Angela Webster and Detective Peyton Lingle, found 35 Terrier/Pitbull mix dogs on the property.
Detectives also found numerous items and devices used to train dogs for dogfighting as well as ear cropping clamps and other surgical equipment FULLER used for surgically removing the ears of these dogs.
The sheriff’s office said many of the dogs “had scars and injuries that were consistent with dog fighting and maltreatment. These injuries included scars around the muzzle, head, ears, carpus and hind quarters; along with broken bones, alopecia and teeth that had been worn and filed down. One dog also had 3 BB pellets underneath the skin. The dogs were all located chained to various items throughout the property at 486 Mosley Loop.”
Investigators additionally discovered and seized “a dog treadmill, dog training poles, a breeding rack, multiple vials of lidocaine, dog ear cropping molds, bags of medical equipment and a shock collar.”
According to the sheriff’s office, investigators also found a breeding rack FULLER used to forcefully breed his dogs.
Multiple social media posts were also discovered which depicted dogs with their muzzles duct taped shut while physically restrained on the breeding rack.
All 35 furbabies were removed from that hellish place and placed in the care of the Rockingham County Animal Shelter.
FULLER was charged with:
15 counts of cruelty to animals
6 counts of dogfighting
restraining dogs in a cruel manner
mistreatment of animal by prohibited tethering
unauthorized practice of veterinary medicine
The sheriff’s office said that FULLER was apprehended in Washington, D.C. and subsequently extradited back to the Rockingham County Detention Facility.
He is currently under a $350,000 secured bond.
At the Rockingham County Detention Facility, DARRICK LORENZO FULLER does not wear heavy chains like the ones that that poor dogs had on!
He will not be drinking dirty water out of filthy bowls like the ones that the poor dogs had!
He will not be kept in a cell with ankle-deep muddy water like the one in which the poor dogs were found!
In a decent country, laws would allow animal abusers to be treated the same way they treated their victims!
DARRICK LORENZO FULLER, how can you possibly believe that your life matters to me if other breathing beings’ lives do not matter to you?
Get a job, you filthy loser and make an honest living!!!
The investigation is ongoing.
The pictures are stills from the video posted by the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office.
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