4th person charged in alleged dog-fighting operation near Tilbury, Ont.

A fourth person has been charged in connection with an investigation intoan alleged dog-fighting operation near Tilbury, Ont.

The 21-year-old is charged with firearms and drug offences, Const. Renee Cowell of the Chatham-Kent police said in a telephone interview.

The charges include:

• 13 counts of careless storage of a firearm
• 4 counts of unauthorized possession of a prohibited weapon
• 1 count of possession of a controlled substance for the purposes of trafficking

The other three individuals were arrested and charged in October after Chatham-Kent police and the Ontario SPCA raided a Morris Line property.

Police said they found 31 "pit bull-type dogs," firearms, drugs and an additional dead dog at the property.

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There is no evidence to suggest the fourth person was involved in the handling of animals in the alleged dog-fighting activities, Cowell said.

When asked why he was being charged alongside the other three individuals, Cowell said he lived at the Morris Line property, but wouldn't provide any further details.