NEWTON COUNTY, Texas — A months-long operation ended in the arrest of 45 people in an illegal dog fighting ring in the Call community on Saturday, according to Newton County Sheriff Colton Havard.

In a social media post Sunday morning, Havard said the investigation, dubbed "Operation Pitbull," began in March when his office began receiving "numerous complaints and tips" about illegal dog fighting.

After obtaining a search warrant, Havard said the Newton County Sheriff's Office, along with several other agencies, shut down the alleged ring.

"When law enforcement arrived, an active fight between two dogs was taking place in a pit clearly constructed for the purpose of dog fighting," Havard said. "Most of the individuals at the scene fled into a wooded area but were ultimately captured b

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