The police came to check out some dogs. But leading it to a much larger situation was a horse found free near the road.
It happened in October 2025 in Henry County, Virginia.
The agents had received a report on the conditions of some dogs in a property in the Axton area. Once on the spot, however, they noticed a horse running free in the courtyards nearby and along the road.
They decided to follow him.
The animal led them to a small stable and a garage located in the property.
It was there that control took on another dimension.
The agents found dogs, goats, cats and dozens of cocks. According to the authorities, several animals lived in worrying conditions: some were underweight, others had visible wounds and dogs did not have clean water or adequate care.
The discovery led to further investigation.
Among the animals were found initially 28 galls linked to barrels, some with sharp spurs and visible wounds. After obtaining a search warrant, the investigators also found dozens of knives, artificial spurs, ribbon for the legs and other material that, according to the authorities, appeared connected to the fights between animals.
At that point it was no longer just a matter of checking a report on some dogs.
Lucio Gomez Garcia was arrested and initially charged with 28 charges for cruelty to animals and a charge for animal combat. The authorities reported that further accusations were planned after finding other galls and other material.
The story also affects the almost unpredictable sequence of events.
A phone call brought the agents to that property.
But it was a horse, found where it should not have been, to make them continue in the direction that would lead to the discovery of other animals.
Of course we can't know why the horse went right there.
Yet, following it, the agents arrived exactly where there was still much to discover.