Sunday, April 12, 2015

Alleged animal cruelty nets Chester man 13 charges in New Kent

VIRGINIA -- A Chester man faces animal cruelty charges in connection with malnourished hunting dogs that New Kent sheriff’s personnel discovered in a private kennel in the county.

Authorities, acting on a complaint, seized 15 dogs on March 21 at the kennel located at the Woodbourne Kampground off Hopewell Road in the county’s western end.

“We picked up the dogs and took them to our pound where we fed them and treated them for worms and other issues,” said Sheriff F.W. “Wakie” Howard Jr. “Our vet did an assessment on each dog and all were in very poor health.”

And those dogs apparently were the lucky ones. The sheriff said evidence exists showing that an unknown number of dogs had died earlier and the carcasses disposed of in a nearby creek.

“We’re trying to determine how many dogs, but we can’t find [the carcasses],” the sheriff said last month.

Lt. Lee Bailey confirmed today that the carcasses still have not been found, but added that a video exists allegedly showing the disposal.

The kennel’s owner, James Howard Smith III, 48, of the 2000 block of Old Bermuda Hundred Road in Chester, is charged with 13 counts of depriving an animal of necessary food, drink, shelter or emergency veterinary treatment. All of the charges are misdemeanors.

Bailey said the total number of charges did not reach 15 due to the veterinarian’s assessment showing condition of two dogs did not meet criteria for animal cruelty.

Smith is scheduled to appear in New Kent General District Court on April 14 for arraignment and appointment of counsel. A separate hearing on custody of the dogs is set for May 14, Bailey said. For now, the dogs are being housed at New Kent’s animal shelter.

“Our pound is very crowded,” Howard said. “Charles City is offering to provide space at their pound to hold some of the dogs if necessary.

“We’ve asked the commonwealth’s attorney that if [the suspect] is convicted that reimbursement for our expenses be part of any fine,” the sheriff said, adding that the amount thus far has reached well over $2,000.

(New Kent Charles City Chronicle - Apr 7, 2015)

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