NATCHEZ — Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten spoke Monday before the county’s board of supervisors about his desire to build more facilities to handle dog-fighting busts.

Patten said caring for the dozens of dogs found earlier this month at the property of a suspected dog-fighting ring was made possible by the help of groups such as the ASPCA and the Natchez-Adams County Humane Society, but he wants to be more prepared should similar ordeal arise in the future.

“We want to be ready if it comes up again — bottom line, we want to be ready,” Patten said.

Patten said the sheriff’s office has leftover funds donated via the GoFundMe account created Nov 8. The account received $26,415 in donations in 13 days; Patten said relief poured in from all over, with donations coming from as far away as the United Kingdom.

“They turned round and told us to keep it so we can do what we need to do here locally and get ourselves prepared to handle something like that in the future,”

District 3 Supervisor Angela Hutchins said the county could use additional facilities to hold vicious dogs that are loose throughout the county.

Because dogs involved in criminal cases essentially become evidence, Patten said, these instances lead to a distinct problem for the sheriff’s office.

“We want to build us something where we can hold these animals — not just to be holding them, but for evidence,” Patten said.

Hoping to take action sooner rather than later, Patten asked the supervisors to consider action in the near future that would allow these plans to manifest.

“I do want the board to ponder that and think about it and vote on it when the time comes,” Patten said.

Board president Mike Lazarus affirmed Patten’s ambition, responding that Patten has the funding to build facilities now.

“Yeah, we’ve got the funding, so I would ask for the board to allow us to do that.”

The sheriff thanked the Natchez-Adams County Humane Society for housing dogs for a couple nights, but also stated that his office needs its own facility since its operations are completely different than the humane society’s.

Patten also said the ASPCA offers grants that would enable officials at the sheriff’s department to become certified animal cruelty experts and investigators.

After Patten concluded his statement, Lazarus reiterated his support of Patten’s endeavor.

“Do what you need to do to get our there and build this facility,” Lazarus said.