Dog shot and killed Copper Hill, VA (US) Incident Date: Sunday, Aug 25, 2002 County: Floyd Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Alleged: Loren D. Kempa Jr

Case ID: 4007 Classification: Shooting Animal: dog (non pit-bull) View more cases in VA (US) Animal was offleash or loose Login to Watch this Case

Loren Kempa Jr is the first Floyd County person to be charged under a new state law that makes some animal cruelty cases felony crimes.

Animal control officer Garland "Bucky" Nester was surprised to find someone confess to the crime in the shooting death of a 4-year old German shepherd, Vegas. Kempa confessed to shooting Vegas once with a pistol on Aug 25.

The dog had never threatened Kempa or showed any aggression, said investigator Steve Graham and it is for that reason that Kempa is now the first Floyd County resident charged under a new state law that makes some animal cruelty cases felony crimes.

The new law, also called the "T-Bone bill," came into effect in July and states that abuse of a dog or cat that resutls in the animal's death is now a felony punishable by a maximum five years in prison.

The crime had been a misdemeanor. The harsher law was inspired by the shooting death of an English pointer that beloned to a Franklin County woman.

John Fallon and his wife and their two dogs has just moved into a rental house on 90 acres only four days earlier. After they finished eating dinner, they let their two dogs outside. Approximately 10 minutes later, the male dog, Klaus, returned to the house and Vegas didn't. The couple began to look for Vegas and call for her. A little while later they heard a shot. The next morning they found Vegas' body near a creek on the property.

The couple was heartbroken and moved away from Floyd County.

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References

Roanoke VA Times - Sept 17, 2002

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