South Carolina dogfighting bust rescues 33 dogs, charges two residents

Thirty-three dogs were pulled from a Horry County property after South Carolina investigators said a kennel operation had been used for dogfighting instead of proper care for high-drive animals. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said Prentice Shiobhan Jackson, 47, of Conway, was charged with 33 counts of ill treatment of animals, 16 counts of animal fighting or baiting, and criminal conspiracy. Rontisha Elena Huggins-Jackson, 48, also of Conway, was charged with criminal conspiracy.

Both defendants were booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center, and the case will be prosecuted by the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office. SLED said the Horry County Police Department and animal rescue partners helped in the operation, a reminder that these cases do not end with arrests. They also trigger an immediate rescue response for dogs that may need medical exams, transport, housing, and careful handling after being removed from a fighting environment.

Investigators said some of the dogs had scarring consistent with dogfighting. SLED also said Jackson operated a kennel venture on the property and was accused of failing to provide adequate care for the animals. That detail matters because it shows how a setting that should have supported healthy canine drive instead became part of a criminal case built on neglect, injury, and exploitation.

South Carolina’s Animal Fighting and Baiting Act treats participation in animal fighting or baiting as a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and or a $5,000 fine. Dogfighting is illegal in all 50 states. The state’s 2024 cost-of-care law also gives judges a faster path after a justified seizure, allowing them to require owners to pay for care or relinquish seized animals so they can be adopted. That kind of law can make the difference between dogs sitting in limbo and dogs moving toward recovery.

The Horry County case lands in a region already familiar with large-scale dogfighting rescues. Best Friends Animal Society previously described a 2024 Horry County case involving 29 dogs, including a 12-year-old dog named Tank. In 2025, Humane World for Animals said it helped rescue 47 dogs and puppies from suspected dogfighting properties in South Carolina and called dogfighting a cluster crime tied to weapons, violence, gambling, and illegal drugs.

For dogs bred for stamina, intensity, and work, the right outlet can mean agility rings, search-and-rescue, or other structured jobs that reward drive without cruelty. In this case, that same drive was exploited instead of directed, and 33 dogs had to be recovered before they could have any chance at a healthier future.