MAXTON, N.C. -- North Carolina authorities are searching for a Scotland County man they say is the ringleader of multiple dog fighting operations. The Scotland County Sheriff's Office and state Alcohol Law Enforcement agents have pending felony charges for 69-year-old Frank Jacobs of Laurinburg. Jacobs was among 27 people arrested Saturday in a raid on a Robeson County home where authorities say a dog fight was under way. After those arrests, police then raided Jacobs' home in Laurinburg. They say they found 13 dogs, many with wounds or scars, along with dog-fighting paraphernalia and several quarts of moonshine. Authorities think Jacobs is involved in more than one large-scale dog-fighting operation, including some that extend into other states.It couldn't be immediately determined Wednesday if Jacobs has a lawyer.

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Twenty-seven people were arrested on charges ranging from dog fighting and animal cruelty to being spectators at a dog fight. Some spectators came from as far away as Maryland and Ohio. The investigation started with a call to a dog fighting tipline set up by Norred & Associates, a private security firm based in Atlanta. Chuck Simmons, Norred's lead investigator, said he saw several people jump into a drainage ditch in an attempt to escape. "They probably didn't know it contained water," he said. "As cold as it was last night, they couldn't have been happy campers when they emerged." Simmons said law enforcement officers were aided by helicopters with infrared detectors. "They were able to quickly apprehend suspects based on detection of their body heat," Simmons said. Several dogs had serious wounds and scars from previous injuries.

They were treated by members of the Atlanta Humane Society's "Humane Emergency Animal Rescue Team" (HEART). The animals were transported to a secure, undisclosed location in the Atlanta area for further care and evaluation. At least one of the animals was a puppy. During the raid, authorities seized drugs, guns and tens of thousands of dollars. The operation was headed by Special Agents from the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Division, who were assisted by the North Carolina Highway Patrol, North Carolina wildlife officers, the North Carolina Department of Corrections, the North Carolina Air National Guard and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

To anonymously report suspected cases of animal cruelty, phone 1.877.215.2250.

A reward of up to $5,000 is offered for information leading to the arrest or conviction of a dogfighter.

For more information, visit www.helpstopdogfighting.com.

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ATLANTA -- Calls to a special hotline for dogfighting tips have slowed down in recent months, according to a private security firm that investigates the tips. "Either we're making a difference, they're going underground or they're going out of state," said Greg Norred, CEO of Norred & Associates. "I'd like to think we're making a difference." For the the past four years, Norred has invested his own money to set up a tipline and train four of his private detectives to pursue dogfighting cases. He said he was motivated by the Michael Vick in 2007. "I guess I'm a sucker for animals. I think these fighting dogs have been dealt a bad hand," Norred said. "Sappy as it sounds, I can't turn my back on them." To date, Norred's firm has rescued more than 850 dogs in 31 raids, with close to 50 arrests. The most recent tip involved a property in Spalding County. Last week, Spalding County animal control officers executed an inspection warrant last week. They found 25 pit bulls chained up and cited the owners for a range of violations that could lead to fines of up to $20,000. But they didn't have enough evidence to seize the dogs or file criminal charges. "We had suspicion there was a dogfighting operation there," Norred said. "We at least did something to make an impact there and hopefully it will deter anything like that from that group, again."

Here dogfighting tipline: 1-877-215-2250.