VIRGINIA -- Despite the November 29, 2011 date shown on a picture, Jenna Coleman, Wythe County Spokeswoman, says they were taken Monday, along Walton Furnace Road. We are told the date has not been correctly set on the camera.
The pictures show no fleas, plenty of medication, and what the county claims are relatively healthy dogs inside what some have called the dungeon at the home of Mike Thomas.
Coleman says the pictures are the focus of an ongoing independent investigation by Animal Control and the Commonwealth's Attorney.
"We've had a lot of interest in the case and we wanted to reassure people of what the conditions were now, because a lot of the information that was out was from two years ago. A lot has changed in two years," said Coleman.
"One of the questions that the Humane Society of the United States had was...Do these dogs have adequate lighting as far as the animal control officer tells you," we asked.
"There are makeshift windows on various sides of the cage that do give them adequate lighting and adequate ventilation," replied Coleman.
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| Flea spray and Clorox bleach is considered medication? |
But animal rights advocates here aren't buying the county's newest claims.
“Why wouldn't they just tell us what's going on. What reason would they have to hide any of that," we asked Veronica Walden, founder of Laws For Paws.
"They're hiding a lot of stuff," said Walden.
"Yeah, but how do we know that unless we get in there," we asked.
"We don't. We need to get in there," replied Walden.
We spoke to one of Thomas’ neighbors off camera who says he helps him with the dogs whenever he can. He says he was there for the latest county visit on Monday and that Thomas is getting a bad rap.
It is all because according to animal control, he has not broken any laws.
Animal rights advocates believe a third party investigation is needed. But Virginia State police tell us they will only assist another agency if they are asked.
(WSLS - July 25, 2012)
