Report: Feds Want to Search Vick's Property for Dead Pit Bulls

The Virginia television station WVEC reported that federal authorities want to search the Virginia property owned by Falcons quarterback Michael Vick to see if pit bulls have been buried there. The station has changed the report on its web site and now says the local prosecutor and the sheriff "did not like the language" of the search warrant approved by a state magistrate.

According to the search warrant, an informant told authorities that seven dogs were destroyed and buried on the property in late April.

An informant also described another time when up to 30 pit bulls were buried.

This search was requested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture rather than local law enforcement authorities, which indicates that dogs may have been transported across state lines for the purpose of fighting, which is a federal offense. The local prosecutor on the case, Gerald Poindexter, has made conflicting statements, saying he's moving forward and that dog fighting occurred on Vick's property, but also saying he hasn't seen enough evidence to charge anyone.

The news of the federal investigation comes after a particularly damaging weekend for Vick, in which ESPN reported that a confidential informant claims first-hand knowledge that Vick is deeply involved in dog fighting, and that the Falcons are bracing for a six-game suspension.

Vick claims he was never at the property, but he apparently received mail there, and people in the area say Vick bought supplies for dog fighting, including syringes.