Chester County Couple Allegedly Running Dogfighting Ring

Ever since he signed with the Eagles three years ago, Vick has steadfastly distanced himself from dogfighting: he’s become an activist, Humane Society spokesman, and most recently, a dog owner anew. Greater Philadelphia has gone in the opposite direction, with dogfighting now an increasingly regular occurrence: investigations spiked considerably in 2009 and 2010. The latest allegedly took place today, in Chester County.

Prosecutors say Shane Santiago and his wife were running the operation while their five children lived at the home. Officials say the couple raised pit bulls, trained them on treadmills and gave them steroidal type medicines to make them stronger. They then taught the dogs to kill other dogs, according to prosecutors.

Though you’d think the Vick signing would have drawn negative attention to the practice, one activist theorized in 2010 that “by hiring him, [the Eagles] said it’s OK to do this kind of stuff.” [NBC 10]