Richmond is safer now that a man's been convicted on a charge of dog fighting. That's according to prosecutors who tell us Richard Robinson's dogs were so dangerous, they were a threat to the public.

"He had 12 dogs tied up individually around each dog house, they were in heavy chains, very heavy chains connected to axels in the ground and they basically had run circles around each dog house," said Commonwealth's Attorney Michelle Welch.

Richmond prosecutors tell us Richard Robinson didn't actually fight dogs at his home on Wright Ave, but he definitely trained them there. Evidence in the case included a treadmill, dog fighting videos, certificates, illegal veterinary drugs, and many other strength training paraphernalia.

"He had large chains that he would tie around the dogs necks to make them more muscular so they could fight and increase their stamina, he had weights, he had pulls, he had bite sticks," Welch said.

Welch tells us Robinson's conviction means the end of a dog fighting operation, but more importantly, its removing a huge threat to the public. She says Robinson's dogs were highly aggressive, and since they were brought to the shelter, at least three have escaped their cages and attacked other dogs.

"One actually bit through the cage and got out and these are chain link fences so that tells you something about how badly they want to get at other animals...if these animals had gotten out in that neighborhood they could have easily killed a child or maimed a child for life," said Welch.

And because they're so aggressive, and unpredictable, authorities say they have no choice but to euthanize them.

Robinson will be sentenced in May on convictions of dog fighting and animal cruelty. He faces a maximum of eleven years in prison.