Dog starved to death - Danville, VA

Friday, Nov 19, 1999

Wendy Fitzgerald, 36, Danville was convicted in December of 1999 for starving her dog to death. Fitzgerald appealed her case and was sentenced to serve even more jail time.

On Nov 18, 1999 the Danville Humane Society was told a chow-shepherd was chained to a dog house and hadn't been fed in weeks. The next day, Nov 19, the Danville Humane Society Director Paulette Dean and a society volunteer went to Fitzgerald's home and found the dog dead, still chained to the dog house.

Dr Russell Bailey, veterinarian, said in a report that the dog starved to death.

Danville Circuit Judge James Ingram sentenced Wendy on Thursday, March 2, to a 12-month jail term, which will be suspended after she serves three months.

She cannot own an animal within the Danville city limits, must pay a $100 fine and must reimburse the Danville Area Humane Society for the $45.32 cost of the dog's autopsy.

Fitzgerald was originally sentenced in December 1999 to serve 10 days of a 90-day jail sentence for the dog's death, was fined $250 and was ordered to pay $45.32 to the Danville Humane Society.

References

• Richmond VA Times-Dispatch - Mar 5, 2000

« Back to Search Results
« VA State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Richmond County, VA

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.