BOSTON — John Murphy, 51, became the first person in Massachusetts to receive a federal sentence for possessing dogs and for participating in a dogfighting venture, according to a release from the Department of Justice.
U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young sentenced Murphy on April 9th to one year and one day in prison. The father of four was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and prohibited from possessing pit-pull type dogs.
Murphy pleaded guilty in November 2024 to nine counts of possessing animals for use in an animal fighting venture, which violates the federal Animal Welfare Act.
According to the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s Director of Law Enforcement, Karen LoStracco, “It would be good to see a higher sentence, just as a potential deterrent for others out there that may be committing this activity.”
However, she noted that the sentence is a positive move because Murphy is banned from owning pit-bulls in the future, and all the dogs involved in the fighting are now safe.
LoStracco said crimes like these are challenging for law enforcement to uncover because they’re well hidden from the public. In some cases, it can take years of investigation.
“It’s sometimes hard to infiltrate these groups to find out exactly what’s going on and who might be involved,” she explained.
Court documents show federal authorities became aware of Murphy’s involvement in dogfighting in 2021 on recorded calls with a dogfighting target based in New York. Just over one year later, they started closely monitoring his property using aerial and ground-level cameras.
In June of 2023, Boston 25 News was on scene as federal agents swept his home, and seized nine pit-bull type dogs that had scars consistent with organized dog fighting.
Photos taken inside Murphy’s home showed dogs tethered to treadmills in his basement, and dog fighting paraphernalia such as several types of steroids and painkillers.
LoStracco said dogfighting is a lot more involved than putting dogs in a ring to fight, there’s a lot of preparation leading up to that point, which includes purchasing or creating training equipment for the animals.
Court paperwork also showed a forensic examination of Murphy’s cell phone had revealed his involvement in breeding and conditioning dogs for 25 years. It also showed him stating he would “never never never” quit what he is doing with the dogs.
For that reason, LoStracco said they will do the best they can to keep an eye on the situation.
As for the dogs involved in fighting, ARL described what happens to them after they’re seized.
“They’re vetted very carefully and deemed fit to be in a shelter environment to be around people, and other animals,” said Animal Rescue League of Boston Media Relations Manager Mike Defina. Subsequently, they’re sent to organizations across the country to receive the care and treatments they need.
He said it can take weeks, even months, for the dogs to trust others again, but he has seen many success stories.
Boston 25 News has reached out to Murphy’s attorney for comment but hasn’t heard back as of Friday, April 11th.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
