By Emily Williams
Pit bulls are being stolen from homes again and word on the street is that dog fighting has not stopped.

“Some people just fight them as a hobby,” a young man said after his two pit bulls were stolen from his back yard in Batesville.

“The first time our two pits were stolen they took them out of the pen,” said the owners, whose name is being withheld by the newspaper.

He said the dogs were stolen a second time after he retrieved them, both puppies.

The owner said the second time his dogs were stolen in June the thief was seen crawling over their fence in the back yard at midnight.

“I recognize the car to this day and I have gotten a few phone calls that my dogs are in Fudgetown,” he said.

Dog fight arrests in past months have shown that after the dogs are stolen for fighting, the fighters move the dogs often so hopeful owners or law enforcement can’t catch them.  

A Pope resident, James Dupree, called The Panolian asking for help when his 10-month-old pit bull was stolen from his yard.

Dupree said about 2:30 a.m. last Thursday morning he heard his dogs barking.

“I put my shoes on and went outside,” said Dupree.

He said that’s when he noticed his dog was missing from the runner he was tied to.

“He’s a family dog, just a baby,” said Dupree.

“I have spent over 80 dollars in gas this weekend searching for my dog,” he said Monday morning.

Dupree placed an ad in the classified section describing his 10-month-old dog as dark brown with a white diamond on his neck.

He had a red collar harness on his body when he was believed to be stolen around 2:30 a.m. Thursday morning and has white feet. His brown markings have tiger like stripes.

“I believe they are abusing these dogs down the road from me in Pope,” Dupree said.

Dupree searched every part of Panola that was rumored to have dog fighting activity like Fudgetown.

The dog is worth $700 and the thieves could face grand larceny charges.

Anyone who has information that could lead to finding these dogs call 662-563-6230 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-729-2169.

ips leading to an arrest receive a cash reward.