According to a Floyd County Police Department release: Jacob Driver Jr, 50, of an East Rome address, was arrested at his home Tuesday and charged with felony violation of the dog fighting statute and cruelty to animals. Police removed 17 pit bulls found chained in a half-acre yard behind a privacy fence. One other was found at his home. The investigation by Officer Kelsi Wade shows that Driver was tracking the history and performance of his animals to prove their value and advertise them as good breeding dogs. Evidence found at his operation matches others who train and groom the animals for sport fighting. Police searched Driver’s home on East 20th Street as well as the vacant house at 60 Weathington Road where he kept the dogs. When police arrived the dogs were restrained with heavy industrial chains anchored in the ground by buried car axles. Floyd County Public Works assisted police with pulling the heavy anchors from the ground to destroy the illegal training facility. Evidence found at the location indicates the dogs were groomed to increase agitation and hostility toward other dogs. Equipment identified at the house is similar to evidence found in other dog fighting cases. This equipment builds strength and endurance and includes thick collars, heavy chains and weighted vests. The combined weight of the 17 chains was 169 pounds; the heaviest chain was 20 pounds. Floyd County Police Code Enforcement investigates animal crimes as well as any violation of county code, to include illegal dumping and nuisance violations. Animal Control assisted with the investigation and recovery of the animals, as did the U.S. Department of Agriculture and an animal crimes prosecutor from the Towaliga Judicial Circuit of Georgia. Others who assisted in the search warrants include Rome-Floyd Metro Task Force, Special Operations and FCPD investigators.
