Five bully type dogs were removed from a house on a quiet residential road after reports of a dog fighting ring.
Along with the dogs, drugs and a machete were also recovered from the home in Saltley, Birmingham, on Tuesday.
The RSPCA and police carried out a raid in an attempt to crackdown on illegal blood sport.
West Midlands Police said two men, aged 30 and 32, were arrested and five dogs were seized from the property.
Officers from the force and the RSPCA’s Special Operations Unit gathered in a nearby car park in the early hours to plan their approach, reports the Mirror.
As the silent convoy surrounded the terrace, drones were deployed overhead to do an aerial recce of the property and the sound of crazed barking erupted into the street.
During the raid multiple evidence bags were carried in and out, followed by the animals on catch poles and in cages.
A huge medieval-type contraption was also wheeled onto the street, and as daylight broke it became clear it was a dog treadmill. A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: “Five dogs were taken from the address. They have not yet been identified but they are not thought to be on the banned breeds list.
“Along with the dogs, officers found dog training equipment and books about dog breeding as well as a machete and a quantity of suspected Class A drugs. The drugs are being examined to identify what they are.”
Officers said both men were arrested under section 8 of the Animal Welfare Act, which bans animal fighting.
The 32-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. Figures released earlier this year show that horrific dog fights, outlawed in 1835, are still prolific in Britain.
The RSPCA was called out to 330 dog fights across the country in 2022 – a 46 percent rise compared to the 226 callouts in 2019.
Footage of the fights can be found online, with experts warning it is fuelling a dangerous rise in the number of people interested in the blood sport.
RSPCA Chief Inspector, Ian Muttitt, said: “The reality is there are individuals in other areas of organised crime and dogs that have become infatuated with fighting. It’s giving people the opportunity to find out more about it.”