MALAD, Idaho — Authorities in eastern Idaho say they intend to file dogfighting charges against a Malad couple after investigators uncovered more than 2 dozen pit bulls and other evidence during a drug raid.
Oneida County Sheriff Jeff Semrad says detectives on Tuesday found 26 pit bulls, four puppies and blood evidence suggesting that illegal dogfighting had taken place at the property.
Police also seized evidence related to dogfighting and identified a pit believed to be designed for dogfights.
But the dogs have since disappeared, believed to have been taken from the property Tuesday night after a sheriff's deputy assigned to guard the home was called away, Semrad said.
"I believe my officer was being watched," Semrad told a news conference Thursday. "When they saw his lights go on and saw him leave, they took the dogs."
Federal officials have also been called in to investigate the case, he said.
Deputies discovered the dogs during a drug investigation at the home of Andy Willard and Tiffany Willard, both 24.
They were arraigned Wednesday on one count of felony manufacturing of a controlled substance. Each is being held in the Caribou County Jail on $20,000 bond, Semrad said.
Semrad said efforts are under way to locate the dogs. At the time, Semrad said there was no evidence any of them had been in a fight and he didn't believe Idaho law granted the authority to impound the animals.
"The animals that were present at the time of the arrests were in good health and there was no evidence to show these dogs had been fighting," Semrad said.
On Tuesday, deputies with search warrants confiscated marijuana plants, drug paraphernalia and equipment used to grow marijuana.
Dogfighting is a misdemeanor in Idaho, one of only two states where it's not a felony. It carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $300 fine.
State lawmakers and Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter have recently vowed to push for tougher penalties in the wake of the dogfighting case involving NFL quarterback Michael Vick.
The Humane Society of the United States is offering a $5,000 reward for any information leading to the dogs.