RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — A Georgia man has been charged in a dogfighting incident from 2024.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division announced that Patrick Heard, 47, from Elberton, Georgia, had been charged with criminal conspiracy and two counts of ill treatment of animals.
According to arrest warrants, Heard was arrested in April 2024 while watching a dogfight in Eastover, S.C.
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The warrants say law enforcement disrupted an “organized high stakes dogfight” in the woods. When they announced themselves, several people watching the fight, including Heard, ran off.
Heard was arrested near the pit where the two dogs were fighting.
Two dogs, one black and one tan, had been fighting for at least 10 minutes before law enforcement separated them, the warrants say. The black dog had several injuries.
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The breeds of the dogs involved were not released.
The warrants say law enforcement seized $80,000 in cash and those attending had to pay to watch the fight.
According to jail records, Heard is currently being held in the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County.
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