Brevard County sheriff's deputies arrested 41-year-old Altrevious Byron and 32-year-old Edsheina Thomas at a home on Easy Street on Merritt Island over the weekend.
Channel 9's Melonie Holt spoke to the Sheriff's Office about the arrests and the two dogs, which are still being evaluated by Animal Services.
The Sheriff's Office said a tip led them to the home, where they found the dogs and alleged ring.
"There was a structure with an underlayment of carpet inside, which is a clear indication of dog fighting and animal cruelty," said Cpl. Dave Jacobs.
Byron's attorney said just because his client was in a location where alleged criminal activity happened didn't make him a participant.
"There's no ownership of the dogs," said defense attorney Sam Bookhardt III. "There's no evidence my client knew what was going on."
Thomas has been charged with cruelty to animals. She's being held on $50,000 bond.
The Sheriff's Office said both suspects have been arrested before, and Byron is on federal probation for possession of a firearm.
The suspects are due back in court on March 10.
Officials said both of the confiscated dogs appear to get along with people, but one of the dogs is particularly aggressive with other dogs. He also appears to have signs of old fractures, authorities said.
"Animals shouldn't be put through this type of living conditions and environment," said Jacobs.
Animal Services is hopeful that the dogs, which are pit bulls or pit bull mixes, will be able to go to some type of rehabilitation facility, but if they're deemed too dangerous they may have to be euthanized.
(WFTV Orlando - Feb 3, 2015)
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