Alleged Texas Dog Fighters Formally Indicted on Multiple Charges

Back in September, two East Texas men were arrested for allegedly running a dog fighting ring. Residents of Smith County and beyond came to the defense of the animals that were seized from the property. What shocked many even more is that they were the owners of a popular barbecue spot in Swan. Recently, the two accused brothers were back in court and received their official indictments in Smith County.

Arrests in September of 2024

Police were called to a property on County Road 4136 after a concerned resident called and said they saw a dog eating another dog's carcass. When police arrived, they found over 40 dogs on the property. The dogs had various injuries consistent with dog fighting. Some dogs were chained up while others were kept in cages. Police found an "arena" for the fights and other tools and apparatuses used for dog fighting.

Shortly after this discovery, police were able to arrest 31-year-old Michael Cameron Jones and 35-year-old Kerry Jones, both of Tyler, and charged them with animal cruelty and dog fighting. Non-profit animal shelter Nicholas Pet Haven took in the animals recovered from the property. Unfortunately, some of those animals had to be put down. The rest will be adopted outside of the East Texas area.

Indictments Handed Down

On Thursday, October 31, a court in Smith County handed down their indictments for Michael Cameron Jones and Kerry Jones. Each will face one count of animal cruelty and two counts of dog fighting (CBS 19). No court date has been set of yet.

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