More than two dozen dogs are being treated at Hillsborough County Animal Services after authorities broke up a suspected dog fighting operation.
The animals were found chained in a backyard at a home in Plant City.
"Some of them are badly injured. They have clear cuts to their faces, forelimbs and heads. They're still bleeding," said Investigations Manager Pam Perry.
Perry said they received an anonymous tip over the weekend reporting possible animal abuse. She said the caller reported hearing animals crying and howling behind a large privacy fence.
"The closest house was probably about 100 yards away but clearly somebody came forward with enough concern about what was going on behind the 6 foot privacy fence and we saved these animals lives," said Perry.
Perry said other evidence was collected at the scene such as chains, buckets and medication used to treat wounds.
"There were tools out there that looked like they had been recently putting together some of these pallets. There was blood spattered all over the pallets. Blood was spattered on the buckets. They were chained in a manner (where) they could get very close to each other but not engage but clearly some of them had been baited and fought," said Perry.
So far no one has been arrested but the investigation continues.