The lives of 18 pit bulls — alleged to have been used in a dog fighting ring in Chatham-Kent — have been saved.
A judge in Chatham has ordered the owners to surrender the animals so they can be shipped to a rehab centre in Florida.
The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had initially applied to euthanize 21 dogs claiming they were a menace to society and incapable of rehabilitation.
But after a a second assessment, 18 of the dogs are no longer deemed dangerous.
The deal to save their lives comes after months of negotiations.