No one was home at 7545 Bell Tell Road near Fairburn on Sept. 28 when Tri-Cities Narcotics Task Force came knocking. But what the agents found put a big dent in someone’s marijuana growing and dog fighting activities.

Agents found marijuana inside and outside the residence along with plenty of weapons and cash. And outside the volume of barking coming from inside a large fenced enclosure revealed 16 pit bulls chained to the ground and three other dogs chained in the back yard.

Tri-Cities Narcotics Assistant Senior Agent-in-Charge Reed Pollard said information leading to the seizure came from a tip about marijuana growing in wooded areas outside the residence. Agents at the scene Sept. 28 determined that no one was inside the house and began a search of the property. During the search agents found 17 marijuana plants, some nearly seven feet tall, growing in an open area near the south side of the house. Positioned near the plants were containers of fertilizer and lime and a water hose running from the residence. Law enforcement agencies commonly regard a growing marijuana plant to be the equivalent of one pound of harvested product, Pollard said.

Agents then scoured the wooded area to the east of the house, across the unpaved Bell Tell Road. With Coweta County’s law enforcement helicopter flying overhead, agents located more than a half-dozen areas where suspected marijuana had been recently harvested. The small craters formed where plants had been removed were surrounded with fertilizer.

Almost humorously, agents found a small piece of wood molding lying beside one of the harvest areas. The inscription on the molding read, “Please, please don’t steal. It’s all I’ve got. Thankx.”

Back at the residence, agents found two large marijuana plants drying in the garage. The plants were hanging upside down on strings, in plain view of anyone that entered the garage. Also found in locations around the back year were several dried plants stripped of their leaves.

Agents were visibly upset with what they found inside the large wood-fenced enclosure immediately southwest of the residence. Chained pitifully to individual stakes were 16 undernourished pit bulls. The dogs had no visible access to food or water. And though they took on the role as watch dogs as agents neared the enclosure, the pit bulls quickly underwent a transformation, tails wagging non-stop, when anyone entered and paid them the least amount of attention. Outside the enclosure and immediately southwest of the residence agents found another pit bull and two German shepherds, chained by stakes or tied to trees. One of the pine trees had obviously been used for years to confine dogs, its bark rubbed to a smooth, gray satin finish from the continuous action of the chain against it.

Search warrant in hand, agents later entered the residence, locating a cache of weapons, cash and more marijuana. Agents seized two boxes of harvested marijuana, five loaded handguns, a loaded 20-gauge shotgun, two mini-crossbows, $1,700 in cash, assorted drug paraphernalia, dog fighting paraphernalia and grow lights, Pollard said. It was reasonable to think that the pit bulls might have been used for fighting, given the number of dogs on the property and the fight-related medications and paraphernalia found inside the house, he added.

Fulton County Animal Control was summoned to the residence to begin process of removing the dogs.

The investigation by Tri-Cities is ongoing. Warrants for the occupants are expected to be issued shortly. Anyone with information relating to the incident is asked to contact Tri-Cities Narcotics Task Force at (770)761-2020.

The raid by Tri-Cities came with the cooperation of the Coweta and Clayton Sheriff’s Offices, Pollard said.