Dog starved to death Virginia Beach, VA (US) Incident Date: Friday, Sep 27, 2002 County: Virginia Beach City Local Map: available Disposition: Convicted Abusers/Suspects: » John Pullen » Lakisha Pullen Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Case ID: 474 Classification: Neglect / Abandonment Animal: dog (non pit-bull) View more cases in VA (US) Login to Watch this Case

Authorities have issued warrants charging two people with felony animal cruelty for allegedly starving a dog to death after adopting it from the Virginia Beach SPCA.

Animal control officers and police detectives were looking Friday for John Pullen, 21, and Lakisha Pullen, 22, whose last known address was in the 1100 block of Kearsage Court in Virginia Beach.

It is the first time Beach officials have taken out felony warrants for animal cruelty under a law that went into effect July 1. The law, passed by the General Assembly earlier this year, allows animal cruelty to be prosecuted as a more serious felony charge and not solely as a misdemeanor.

According to the Virginia Beach Police Department, John Pullen was observed throwing a dog wrapped in a blanket into a garbage bin at the Bancroft Hall apartments on Sept. 27.

The dog was recovered from the garbage bin by an animal control officer. A veterinarian determined that the animal was emaciated and suffered from severe muscle loss, according to police. The animal weighed 11 pounds and apparently had died of starvation, police said. An investigation determined that the dog weighed about 25 pounds when it was adopted by the Pullens from the SPCA in April.

Originally, John Pullen was served with a misdemeanor warrant. But after the case was screened by the Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, prosecutors determined that the charge should be upgraded.

Sharon Q. Adams, executive director of the Virginia Beach SPCA, said the dog should have weighed about 50 pounds if it had been fed properly.

Originally the Pullens were wanted on misdemeanor charges, but a review of the case by the Commonwealth's Attorney prompted the filing of felony charges.

The Pullens were taken into custody Friday.

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