Dog-fighting is banned in the US and is a felony in all 50 states. There are tough penalties in place for those caught breeding dogs for fighting.

Yet, despite all this, it still happens and is often hard to discover these underground dog fighting operations taking place in remote areas and involving a huge network of offenders.

Responding to several tips, animal welfare officers in Missouri worked on a 12-month long investigation until finally, they were able to rescue these poor animals.

It’s reportedly the biggest dog fighting bust in U.S. history.

Officers expected to rescue around 200 dogs, but they took in over 400 fighting dogs who were all in terrible condition.

In the video below, animal welfare officers were close to tears recounting the state of these animals.

Please pray for the animals.