SPOKANE--Eight dogs involved in Washington's first dog fighting case were packed up in kennels and moved to a rescue operation in Missouri Wednesday afternoon.

Lee Stoll, KREM.com

One of the eight dogs seized as part of a dog-fighting ring in Spokane Valley left today for its new home in St. Louis.

A judge released the dogs, nicknamed "The Great Eight", from custody after the convictions of Peter Nelson and Alfredo Renteria for running a dog-fighting operation in Spokane Valley.

Once the dogs were released, they became property of SCRAPS, the animal control organization for Spokane County.

SCRAPS found the new home for the dogs at Stray Rescue in St. Louis along with help from the Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, UT and Pullman businesswoman Carmel Travis. Stray Rescue specializes in Pit Bull and Bully breed dogs.

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SPOKANE -- A Spokane County jury has reached a split verdict in the trial of two men charged with running an illegal dogfighting ring in Spokane Valley.

SCRAPS Agents take a dog from an illegal kennel operation believed to be tied to dog fighting.

Peter Nelson and Alfredo Renteria were both convicted of animal fighting and operating a private kennel. The animal fighting charge is a felony. However, jurors acquitted both on charges of transporting animals in an unsafe manner. Renteria was also found not guilty on animal cruelty charges.

The suspects were arrested last spring, when investigators raided a home on the 8000 block of East Utah. Eight pit bulls were found on the property either tethered with heavy metal chains or caged in the backyard. Detectives say chains are used as tethers to build stamina in the animals for fighting.

Nelson and Renteria face up to a year in jail and a number of fines. They'll be sentenced next month.

SCRAPS tells KREM 2 News the court still has to decide who gets custody of the dogs.