Beaufort County man accused of dogfighting; 10 animals rescued from property
State police have charged a Beaufort County man with dogfighting after finding nine animals with signs of abuse outside his Seabrook home. A total of 10 dogs from the property were placed under the care of an animal welfare nonprofit.
Spencer Lamont Moultrie, 54, was charged Monday morning with ill treatment of animals and a violation of South Carolina’s Animal Fighting and Baiting Act. The 1986 law prohibits owning an animal for the purpose of fighting as well as permitting others to use a location for animal fighting.
Both offenses are felonies. Moultrie’s charge under the Animal Fighting and Baiting Act carries a punishment of five years in prison or a $5,000 fine, or both.
Arrest warrants from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division say 10 dogs were discovered on Moultrie’s property, nine of which had scarring “consistent with organized dogfighting” based on a veterinarian’s findings. Investigators also found multiple items associated with dogfighting on the suspect’s property, the documents say, but it was not specified what the items were.
Photos from the Humane World for Animals nonprofit, who took custody of the 10 animals for veterinary care, show the dogs chained up in a dirt clearing surrounded by woods outside the home. Some made use of barrels and other makeshift shelters that had been left on the property.
“It was heartbreaking to find injured, scarred dogs languishing on chains, crouching in barrels to seek what little shelter they could from the pouring rain,” Janell Gregory, HWA’s South Carolina state director, wrote in an email. “We are honored to help get them to safety and are grateful to SLED for inviting us to assist them in intervening in this situation.”
Most of the canines appeared to be in the pit bull family of breeds, the group most commonly used in dogfighting rings across the country.
As of Tuesday, officials had not said whether they believed Moultrie was tied to a larger dogfighting ring. It was unknown if additional arrests were expected.
As SLED’s Dogfighting Division was executing its search warrant Monday morning, Moultrie reportedly arrived at the home and confirmed the property belonged to him. He told agents the dogs belonged to someone else whose name was redacted in the arrest warrant.
All 10 dogs were handed over to the HWA nonprofit, formerly the Humane Society of the United States. The animals’ status was unknown as of Tuesday afternoon, and it was unclear whether they would be put up for adoption locally.
The signs of abuse at the property were first noticed by staff of Beaufort County Animal Services, who then notified police, according to director Tallulah Trice.
Assisting in the investigation were sheriff’s deputies from Hampton and Beaufort counties, according to the SLED release. Beaufort County deputies transported Moultrie to the local jail Monday morning.
Moultrie was released from the Beaufort County Detention Center the afternoon of his arrest on a personal recognizance bond, meaning he would not have to pay bail unless he violated court conditions.
The arrest comes as South Carolina continues its new crackdown against the underground world of animal fighting. SLED formed its Dogfighting Unit in 2023, prompting an immediate uptick in the number of arrests and of animals rescued.
Last year, 60 people were arrested and 231 dogs were rescued from suspected fighting rings in 16 counties across the Palmetto State. Beaufort and Jasper counties were not included in the list of jurisdictions with recent cases.
In its 2024 report, the Animal Legal Defense Fund recognized South Carolina as the “most improved” state in regards to animal protection laws.
If you have information regarding suspected dog fighting in South Carolina, report it to the SLED Dogfighting Unit at tips@sled.sc.gov.
This story was originally published August 12, 2025 at 4:07 PM.
