A man convicted of over 100 felony counts of dog fighting, and nearly as many misdemeanor charges will spend the next 15 years behind bars.
As part of the sentencing on Tuesday afternoon in Polk County Superior Court, Devecio Rowland is also banned from ever owning another dog upon his release in 15 years, at which point he will serve 35 years probation.
Many of the dogs that were found at Cashtown Road near Aragon and Puckett Road in Cedartown were rescued and are with new owners.
A number of those dogs, their owners, animal rights activists, and local law enforcement officers were at the courthouse when the sentence was handed down by Senior Judge Richard Sutton.