NATCHEZ — The approximately 50 dogs found in a suspected dog fighting ring were officially signed over Friday morning to the custody of the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.

The dogs, which are currently in the care of the ASPCA, are cleared by the court to be adopted.

Approximately 56 dogs were found wounded and emaciated in a 2-acre lot in the Cranfield community on Nov. 7.

The owner of the property, Tommie Queen, 31, 29 1/2 Miracle Road, was charged with 50 counts of felony dogfighting.

In order to retain the animals, Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten said Queen had to file a motion to keep ownership of the animals within five days of being provided the paperwork to create the motion.

Patten said at the end of those five days, Queen had not yet turned in his motion, and the judge ruled to pass ownership of the animals to the sheriff’s office.

The discovery of what is likely the largest dogfighting operation in the county’s history sparked outcry, prompting a push for stronger penalties for dogfighting in Mississippi.

Mayor Darryl Grennell will hold a public town hall meeting on the matter at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Natchez City Council Chambers at 115 S. Pearl St.

At the meeting, state Sen. Bob Dearing, D-Natchez, will present his proposed bill that would increase the penalty for dogfighting to a $1,000 fine per dog and one-year prison sentence per dog.

The meeting is expected to include several area lawmakers and animal rights representatives from around the state.