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Vick to undergo further investigation
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NORFOLK, Va. A prosecutor, sheriff and investigators are scheduled to meet Monday to review evidence collected in the weeks since dogs and equipment associated with dog fighting were seized from a home owned by Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. No charges have been filed in the case, but Surry County Commonwealths Attorney Gerald Poindexter said Wednesday as many as six to 10 people could be involved. Dog fighting is a felony in Virginia. Im convinced from what I saw that dog fighting has occurred down there, but who was involved in it I dont know at this point, Poindexter said in a telephone interview, noting that he saw what looked like blood spatters in a room over a garage. Were going to find out. Vick has blamed relatives for taking advantage of his generosity and insisted that hes rarely at the house even though hes the owner. The people possibly involved include those who have lived or been on the premises and people who took care of the dogs and the property, Poindexter said. He said what looked like blood spatters on the floor of a room over a garage were the most suggestive evidence of dog fighting. There were blood splatters, and somebody would have to explain to me how you draw blood in the normal training of pit bulls. He also said he was told there was a carpet with blood stains on it rolled up in a corner of a room downstairs, but he did not see that. Poindexter said that he and Surry County Sheriff Harold Brown called a meeting Monday with investigators from the State Police and animal control to summarize evidence and examine reports. He said he doubted that the review would be finished in time to submit to a grand jury scheduled to convene Tuesday. I am not defending Mr. Vick at all, but I dont want to see us rush into a case prematurely, he said. We are in the process of collecting evidence as best we can. It includes analyzing forensic evidence. Its not traditional. You cant go to the state sources that we usually have to do analysis of dog blood. After the meeting, Poindexter said he and Brown will try to decide where were going. If its necessary to call a special grand jury, well do that. Brown did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment. He was said to be out of the office Wednesday afternoon. The case began in late April, when police conducting a drug investigation raided the house in rural Surry County and found dozens of dogs. They also found items associated with dog fighting, including a pry bar used to pry apart a dogs jaws. Poindexter said the county seized some 60 dogs from the house. Several dogs had old scars, but by and large, the dogs appeared to be well-cared for, he said. Vick is a registered breeder, so the mere fact that he had a lot of dogs doesnt mean a whole lot, Poindexter said. If hes implicated in any way and Im not saying he isnt, I would think that he is there are about 10 other people who, from what we know, have a much more regular contact with the property and the animals, the prosecutor said. Vick has said he let a cousin, Davon Boddie, live at the house, and that he didnt know that a large kennel on the property could be involved in a criminal activity. Last week, the Daily Press of Newport News reported that Vick has sold the house.