Dog fight discovered in Sunrise pole barn

By Barbara Brown
More than 35 people received citations and two dogs died late Saturday night after police broke up a dog fight in Sunrise Township.
The Chisago County Sheriffís Office arrested the 35 people on charges of misdemeanor par-taking in a dog fight.
Two others, Tommy Lee McClellen, 59, and Neal Burton, 41, face felony dog fighting charges, according to the Chisago County Sheriffís Office.
McClellen lives at the site of the fight ñ 11069 Sunrise Road. Burton is from Minneapolis.
Five people were arrested and booked at the Chisago County jail for warrants or because officers were unable to identify them.
Two pit bulls were put to sleep as a result of the injuries they received in the fight held in a pole barn on the Sunrise Road property.
Deputies were dispatched to the residence at about 10:45 p.m. Aug. 23 after an anonymous woman called 911 and said she thought someone was trying to kill her.
After further investigation, officers found out the woman who originally placed the 911 call had had an apparent argument with someone at the scene and she may have been intoxicated when she made the call, said Chisago County Sheriffís Office Capt. Doug Sampson.
Sampson said officers were still investigating and that he did not know as of Monday if the fight Saturday night was the first in the area or if the fighting had been a regular occurrence but not found out before.
Officers arriving at the address Saturday night spotted several vehicles parked at the residence when they arrived and they heard ìyelling and chant-ing from a pole barnî on the property, the sheriffís office said.
When officers looked into the barn, they saw a pen and an active dog fight taking place.
Two pit bulls were in the pen fighting each other and the crowd of more than 50 men, women and children stood by watching.
The two dogs suffered ìextensive injuries,î according to the sheriffís office, and were put to sleep after they were taken by Animal Control officers to an emergency veterinarian who determined the injuries were severe.
The Chisago County Sheriffís Office was assisted by North Branch and Wyoming police officers, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Minnesota State Patrol.
The case was under investigation Monday and more charges may be filed, the sheriffís office said.

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