Twenty eight pit bull terriers and a pit for fighting have been found by the police in Northern Ireland.
The dogs were seized from an Armagh farmhouse yesterday evening after a tip-off to animal welfare workers.
There were no arrests. They were discovered days after five-year-old Ellie Lawrenson was mauled to death by a pit bull terrier type dog in Merseyside.
An Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals spokesman said: "This has resulted in the identification and seizure of 28 pit bulls under dangerous dogs legislation from apparently derelict premises and the seizure of equipment for dog fights."
Police, USPCA officers and the local Armagh District Council entered the premises on the Old Scarva Road.
The USPCA said they had been inundated with calls following the New Year's Day attack on Ellie in St Helens. She was savaged by her uncle's dog at her grandmother's house. The animals are prohibited under the Dangerous Dogs Act. The USPCA added: "There are a number of investigations into the circumstances surrounding the seizures which are ongoing. "There are no welfare concerns about the animals.
There was a pit discovered in the ground, a round pit with space to watch a fight." This week Ballymena Borough Council became the first local authority in the UK to announce an amnesty allowing owners to hand over dogs they feel may be illegal. Many unwittingly acquired the dogs from shadowy dealers who can make large sums of money.