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A raid on a Robeson County, N.C., dog fighting ring Saturday night resulted in the arrests of 27 people.

Authorities seized 18 dogs, thousands of dollars and several guns, according a news release from the N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement agency (ALE).

Those arrested were from the Carolinas, Ohio and Maryland, and charges included dog fighting, animal cruelty, animal neglect, weapons violations and possessing controlled susbstances, the Fayetteville Observer reported.

“Dog fighting is unquestionably a cruel and vicious event,” ALE Director John Ledford said in a release. “An event can last as long as several grueling hours while the dogs bite and maul each other to death,” he said. “With the help of state and federal partners, this inhumane bloodshed was stopped.”

The arrests were made at the home of Jimmy Jacobs, where almost everyone in the crowd tried to run away when authorities arrived. The state’s Air National Guard provided a helicopter to help track them down, the release said.

Some of the dogs that were seized had serious wounds as well as scars from previous injuries. Veterinarians from North Carolina and the Atlanta Humane Society provided medical care for wounded dogs.

ALE agents were assisted by state Wildlife Resources Commission and Department of Correction officers, Highway Patrol troopers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and representatives from Norred & Associates, an Atlanta security company whose owner donates services to help break up dog fighting rings.

It was a tip to the company’s dog fighting hotline that led to the investigation.

(Photo: Atlanta Humane Society)