VA Animal Cruelty Bill Motivated By Alexandria Offenses Progresses

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A Virginia bill to inflict more severe penalties for animal cruelty offenses was motivated by two offenses in Alexandria and made progress in the Virginia General Assembly.

State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) had introduced the bill to make killing, maiming or poisoning agricultural and domestic animals a Class 5 felony. Hurting domestic animals is a class 1 misdemeanor for a first offense and Class 6 felony for a second offense.

Ebbin mentioned in a message to constituents that residents wanted harsher penalties for hurting household pets in light of the attempted dog poisoning in the Del Ray neighborhood and sausages in fish hooks that sent a dog to the animal hospital in Alexandria.

Tony Rankin, chief of animal services at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, told Patch Ebbin's staff reached out to the organization about the legislation. The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria was involved in the dog poisoning and fish hook investigations.

Rankin noted there had been confusion from residents about the current animal cruelty law, which makes it a felony for offenses against agricultural animals and class 1 misdemeanor for companion animals and fowl. As the owner of two dogs, the thought of animal cruelty is personal to Rankin.

"Domestic animals should be counted as just as valuable and important as agricultural animals," said Rankin. "I certainly feel that all animals are important. Anyone that would do this to anny animal should pay a heavy price."

Rankin said the animal cruelty law was used in the Del Ray dog poisoning investigation, where a neighbor threw meat into a yard where dogs lived. The meat was tested and had rat poison. The neighbor was identified but received a sentence of six months suspended jail time, 12 months probation and 100 hours of community service.

In the case of fish hooks embedded in sausages left on the streets of Alexandria, Rankin said a suspect was never identified. A dog owner had discovered the fish hooks while walking the dog, which picked up one of the sausages and began gagging. The dog went to the animal hospital but was expected to recover. No other animals were believed to be harmed.

Ebbin's legislation passed the Virginia Senate unanimously and would need to be passed by the Virginia House before being signed by the governor. Rankin hopes the higher penalty will cause less animal cruelty crimes.

"We would only hope that it would deter people," said Rankin. "If they would do something like that, the penalty is more fair and easily balanced.

Ebbin noted to constituents that other animal welfare bills introduced in the Virginia Senate are Senate Bill 11, which would give a lifetime ban of owning animals to a person convicted of felony animal cruelty and Senate Bill 93 to establish an animal cruelty registry in localities.