Spring Hill man gets 7-year prison term for dogfighting

Animal abuse won’t be tolerated by the feds, if a seven-year sentence announced against Jose Miguel Carrillo of Spring Hill is any indication.

“To its core, dog fighting is a cruel and criminal exploitation of animals for entertainment,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Today’s sentence sends a strong deterrent message that the Justice Department will vigorously prosecute these cases.”

Carrillo was found guilty of “conspiring to violate the dog fighting prohibitions of the federal Animal Welfare Act and being a felon in possession of a firearm,” according to a press release from the Justice Department’s Office of Public Affairs.

Prosecutors said he conspired with others to acquire dogs and breed them for fighting. Additionally, he traveled to Massachusetts and Connecticut for dogfights.

When his home was searched in June 2023, 10 pit bulls were seized along with guns and ammo.

But the real horror for animal lovers might be evidence of Carrillo’s grisly trade, which included a bloodstained dogfighting box, a skin stapler, syringes and veterinary drugs.

“Exploiting and endangering the welfare of animals for personal gain is cruel and abhorrent,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sara C. Sweeney for the Middle District of Florida. “Because of the hard work of our law enforcement partners, justice was served.”